Belleville, ON, Canada / Quinte News

Belleville’s recently closed Bed Bath & Beyond store won’t be empty for long.

Canadian entrepreneur Doug Putman is opening a new national home store brand in 21 former Bed Bath & Beyond and buybuyBABY locations including the Belleville store at North Front Street.

The new stores, called rooms + spaces are to open in early summer with the number of locations expected to grow beyond 30 by the end of the year.

Putman, whose retail portfolio also includes Toys”R”Us and Babies”R”Us Canada, Sunrise Records and more, says the new store will carry a broad range of products for every room in the home.

Putman is acquiring more than 800,000 square feet of real estate with the acquisition.

The company will be led by Greg Dyer, formerly General Manager of Bed Bath & Beyond Canada.

rooms + spaces is actively hiring 500 associates.

Applications are being accepted online at roomsandspaces.ca.