Best Buy added 42 stores around the United States to its list of previously announced stored closings Saturday, bringing the total to 50.

Best Buy’s Santa Clarita store is not on the closure list.

The electronics retailer is closing the biggest of its big-box stores in an effort to decrease overall square footage and convert to smaller store formats that favor interconnectivity over warehousing.

Most of the store closings should happen by May 12. Seven California stores are on the closure list including Westwood (Los Angeles), East Palo Alto, Manteca, Moreno Valley, Ontario, Pittsburg and Tustin (Jamboree).

“This was not an easy decision to make,” a company statement said. “We chose these stores carefully, and are working to ensure the impact to our employees will be as minimal as possible, while serving all customers in a convenient and satisfying way.”

It said it will work to relocate employees to other stores and offer severance packages.

  Locations of 2012 U.S. Best Buy store closings