Toys R Us will close three stores in Quebec by January 5, Postmedia reported.

The affected stores are located in Quebec City and the Montreal suburbs of Laval, Que., and Brossard, Que., according to the report, which cited provincial labour ministry notices. Following the closures, will have only one store remaining in Quebec, in St-Bruno-de-Montarville.

HR has reported that Quebec labour department records indicate nine Toys R Us stores in the province have closed, leaving 180 people out of work. The Quebec shutdowns come as the U.S.-based chain is permanently closing locations across Canada due to financial difficulties.

David Gray, a retail consultant with DIG360, told Postmedia that the Quebec shutdowns were “not a shocker.”

He attributed the closures to the rise digital games and entertainment, Amazon’s of e-commerce, and the increase in discount retailers — particularly Walmart. All of those helped helped saturate supply, according to the retail expert.

“From a supply point of view, choice became pretty commoditized, except where you had really special kinds of brands like Lego,” Gray told Postmedia. “There are more ways to get (toys) in the hands of consumers now, directly, than there would have been when Toys R Us was in its ascendancy.”

Toys R Us has closed 38 locations across Canada and 12 more stores are up for sale, The Edmonton Journal reported recently.

According to other media reports, stores in Montreal; London, Ont., and Red Deer are among seven properties listed for a total of $121 million. Ontario’s labour ministry recently told HR Report that it was notified about the closure of the chain’s Canadian headquarters in Vaughan, Ont., so the province launched its rapid re-employment and training service for employees facing layoffs.

Photo: CNW Group/Toys R Us Canada