As Bed Bath & Beyond finally closed its doors, a Canadian businessman has announced that he is taking over several stores across the country and turning them into a new home store brand called Rooms + Spaces.

Doug Putman certainly has the experience to back it up.

His retail portfolio includes Toys 'R' Us and Babies 'R' Us Canada, Sunrise Records, Alex Brands (including Alex Toys in the US), T.Kettle, HMV in the UK, and more. And now he’s gearing up to fill the void left behind by the American home retail chain, which applied for bankruptcy in February.

The American big box store known for homeware and home decor had 54 locations across Canada. Now Putman said he's opening the first 21 Rooms + Spaces locations across the country this summer — a total of 80,000 square feet of real estate.

The company is already looking to hire 500 associates, with more positions expected to open in the future.

"I see such a strong opportunity to invest in Canadian retail, and I'm always looking for new opportunities," says Putman. "The creation of a new home brand was a natural addition to my retail portfolio, which now provides shoppers with everything they need across the baby, toy, and home categories."

Shoppers at the new store can buy kitchen gadgets, luxurious towels, and home decor. The store will stock items from brands such as Oxo, Homedics, Cuisinart, Martex, and more.

And Greg Dyer, the former general manager of Bed Bath & Beyond Canada, will be taking over the helm.

"Whether it's couples seeking affordable decorating or entertaining solutions, or parents supporting the needs of students moving away to school, our store associates are here to help consumers find everything they need to make their home their own," he said.

Ten other former Bed Bath & Beyond locations in Ontario, BC, and Alberta have been leased to Canadian Tire Corporation (CTC), which will transform the spaces into Mark’s and Pro Hockey Life stores.

Rooms + Spaces stores will be located in former Bed Bath & Beyond and BuyBuy Baby locations in the following cities.

Ontario

• Belleville – Bell Front Shopping Centre, 366 North Front Street
• Cambridge – Smartcentres Cambridge, 70 Pinebush Road
• East Gwillimbury – Green Lane Centre, 1-18126 Yonge Street
• Kitchener – The Boardwalk, 225 The Boardwalk
• London – Westwood Centre, 3325 Wonderland Road
• Richmond Hill – Bayview Ridge Shopping Centre, 225 High Tech Road
• Stittsville – 5487 Hazeldean Road
• Stoney Creek – Heritage Greene, 1783 Stone Church Road East
• Whitby – Thickson Ridge Power Centre, 1650 Victoria Street East
• Woodbridge – RioCan Colossus Centre, 67 Colossus Drive

British Columbia

• Kelowna – Orchard Plaza, 1540 Keehn Road
• Langley – Langley City Square, 19860 Langley Bypass
• Vancouver – 1740 West Broadway
• Victoria – Mayfair, 775 Finlayson Street

Alberta

• Calgary – Brentwood Village, 3630 Brentwood Road
• Calgary – Chinook Station, 306 Glenmore Trail SW
• Edmonton – South Edmonton Common, 2021-98 Street NW
• Edmonton – West Edmonton Mall, 8882 170 Street

Saskatchewan

• Regina – Grasslands, 4855 Gordon Road
• Saskatoon – Preston West, 1709 Preston Avenue North

Newfoundland

• St. John's – The Village Shopping Centre, 430 Topsail Road