Best Buy to offer use of its stores, website to other Canadian retailers

A customer walks to a Best Buy in Laval, Que. on Thursday Jan. 30, 2014. (Ryan Remiorz / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

BURNABY, B.C. -- Best Buy says it's preparing to offer other retailers the chance to sell their products on its website and allow their customers to pick up their merchandise at its 192 Canadian stores.

It says the new approach will provide consumers with a larger assortment of products than currently available through BestBuy.ca or its retail stores.

The company says retail partners will be able to maintain their own brand identity and a customized transaction area on BestBuy.ca.

Best Buy says its new marketplace will be launched in the coming months but didn't say which retailers will participate.

Traditional retailers have been under pressure to come up with new ways of doing business as online shopping grows in popularity and rivals like Amazon find new ways to distribute products without an extensive store network.

Best Buy closed all of its Future Shop stores across Canada in March, including 66 now operating under the Best Buy banner.