Argos to close all Irish stores starting March

Spanish Eyes

Sorry for the staff, but from what I read this morning the company have given assurances redundancy wise, even for those who don't qualify for statutory. I hope that is the case.

Anyway, I did use it a lot in the past, for this and that, easy to pick up click and collect 10 minutes away, but now - as others have said anything I want has been out of stock for a long time. It killed me checking out the item and selecting the store to see if it had the stock, only to see the message "out of stock". I nearly had to reach the end of the process to find that out!

The premises are probably being eyed up by Roddy O'Gorman for the asylum seekers, like the office blocks. They are desperate for accommodation at the moment!

Atlantic Dawn

I can't think of a single business that I would see being able to take up the leases of all 34 stores to trade from, bricks and mortar retail is dead.

Lewis_Benson

The times they are a changing.

road_high

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120129643#Comment_120129643

But what European stores are replacing them? I can’t think of any. If these shops leave our high streets they’ll die now

gipi

The only purchases I've made in recent times is replacement gas canisters for Soda Stream. Website is a disaster, and they've been running stock down since autumn - my local Argos has had no jewellery on display for months.

I'm close to the border so if I'm really stuck, I can try up north.

Strumms

Thing is, Amazon will never do instant, you will always be days away from ordering to being in receipt of your order.

Argos…Or any high street retailer … you need something….car, bus, taxi or walk there pay money and you got it in X minutes…..you can be looking at the catalog before you get there.

often we need / want stuff at short notice. Because we’ve been forgetful or a situation has unexpectedly arisen so we need X.. ASAP.

example…..if I forget a family member’s birthday tomorrow…. I’ve remembered at 5.47 pm…. I’ve got until 7pm to get to my local Argos tonight. Browsing online so I’m not wasting time between then. Amazon or any and every online retailer is of sweet fûck all use.

one thing i have just noticed, the vast majority of Argos shops around me, are closing at 6.30 or 7pm tonight… Thursday, late night shopping !? Might be indicative of their problems..

Who knows who might replace them, but there have been European stores and others who've been very successful here, JYSK for example is Danish and has been popping up in similar locations to Argos all over the place. You've other Danish ones like Søstrene Grene beginning to appear here and there ...

Harvey Norman's an Australian company that's operated here for years without any UK presence at all.

Plenty of other stores in the fashion sector that aren't UK originated too. Some enormous ones like Zara (and its other brands).

The biggest issue we are exposed to at the moment is that the UK retail sector is going to shrink and possibly very hard due to the economic realities over there. That will leave gaps in our Main Streets and shopping centres regardless of whether the Irish economy is buoyant or not.

If there's a market here, which there is, there will be retailers willing to fill those spaces though.

Argos however is very much an obsolete concept. Nobody's going to be launching catalogue shops again.

As for "We're moving away from UK and connecting to the rest of Europe and the world" that's just an inevitability due to Brexit. We aren't moving anywhere. The UK has cut itself off and destroyed its ability to trade cross border with EU countries and other companies will fill those niches. It will take time though.

The Irish Government doesn't go around directing companies from the continent to open here. If there are Irish or international retailers who want to take up opportunities that the UK has been removing from its own companies, those gaps will be filled.

Padre_Pio

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120130664#Comment_120130664

Amazon are doing same day in places in England.

I've noticed they're at 2 day delivery now in Ireland, which is miles better than any Irish retailer. I suppose that's their thing though. Faster than our own postal service at delivering items around the country.

They do next day on items in the Dublin warehouse in Dublin and certain urban areas like Cork where they have their own delivery services.

Also they’re not any faster than A Post nationally. It’s not unusual to get next day from Irish online retailers if they get the packages into the post before 4pm the previous day. I’ve been pleasantly surprised by several online orders that arrived on my door step the day after I ordered.

Same day is quite challenging and can’t really work very far from a warehouse.

Strumms

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120130766#Comment_120130766

Right but again, completely dependent on when the consumer realises they have a need for the product.

superflyninja

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120129591#Comment_120129591

For some things of course, but Ive gotten some very competitive prices over the years. Quite often it wasnt far off amazon with the bonus I could go and pick up the item.

I’m curious about what happens to the Parcel Motel locker infrastructure. The service is shutting down forever at the end of January and hasn’t seen much use since Brexit, but the locker network could easily be sold to Amazon or similar if UPS doesn’t want it.

A lot of Amazon same day in the UK, other than to selected post codes is delivery to locker.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120130641#Comment_120130641

The busiest streets in Limerick have none of these shops any more. The busy streets are all food and coffee now.

Argos and many others abandoned the high streets long ago and the high streets are well on their way to adapting.

sonofenoch

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120130265#Comment_120130265

When I started seeing alot of import charges on top of postage charges on ebay ....I started to look elsewhere

FoxForce5

Any idea how they will deal with the 3 year replacement thingy I just bought it with a microwave.

PommieBast

Pity really. I used Argos a fair amount even during the pandemic.

I suspect the push against people driving into and around Dublin has not helped places like Parnell/Henry street, and that may have been enough to push Argos (and others) over the edge.

JupiterKid

Sad to see Argos closing down here, as a child back in the 1980s my dad would shop at Argos up North and my sisters and I would pore over the catalogues for hours on end, especially the toy section!

But that was 35+ years ago now and I suppose online retail has massively eroded Argos’s business model. That said, at least you can go into an Argos store, order and collect immediately. Not possible with Amazon etc.

The last couple of times I was in an Argos, they were out of stock of the product I was looking for, which wasn’t good. The stores were also looking a bit tatty, dated and run down in places.

Ironically it was the computer that allowed Argos to exist in the first place, Argos was launched 50 years ago this year, in 1973 - and it must have seemed like a shopping revolution at the time. But since then technology has caught up with and overtook Argos.

I also have the distinct feeling that as with Debenhams, the closure of Argos’s Irish Stores is only a prelude to a full closure in the UK before too long. I feel sorry for those who will lose their jobs.

Juran

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120130807#Comment_120130807

Parcel Motel closes end of the month. Brexit customs regs killed it. I used to shop in UK for big items which didnt deliver outside UKeg. Microwave, big rug, fireplace, electric fire, armchair, etc. it was a great service.

What happens I wonder to credit left in everyone's account ?

Argos basically modelled itself on narrower version of the Sears Catalog stores in the USA, which provided Sears Department Store outreach to smaller towns and outlying suburbs, using similar looking catalogue shops.

They thrived 1950s, 60s and 70s and began to fade in the 90s and are now entirely gone, along with the vast majority of the enormous Sears empire itself - very little of it left.

Most of what Argos excelled at is far better done by Amazon and a lot of the niche household stuff they sold tends to be very well covered by the DIY and home store chains, the likes of Woodies here is actually excellent.

Electrical, electronic etc moved into big box retail and online.

Toys are online and big box too. Smiths being the big box.

I think Argos was great, really good for last minute stuff.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120131075#Comment_120131075

I might email them and ask for a refund. I’m damned if I’m donating whatever €20 is on it to UPS!

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120130603#Comment_120130603

Ikea could take a few maybe? Local paper reporting this week they are opening a cut down shop in our town but haven't specified where and calling it a "plan and order point" in a 1000 sq ft premises, the Argos units would be a bit bigger than that though wouldn't they?

Furze99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120129576#Comment_120129576

Oh, where's www.amazon.ie ??? I haven't come across it yet. Amazon treats the Republic of Ireland like a province of the UK - feck them.

road_high

Someone mentioned Jysk earlier and that’s true- they have a huge store footprint already and really good and nice household stuff. They’d beat Argos hands down on all that stuff

PommieBast

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120131220#Comment_120131220

That's pretty much what the non-food part of M&S is now over in the UK. Have a bit of stock for unreserved walk-in buys but a lot of shops are really just show rooms.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120131415#Comment_120131415

Been to a few shoe shops that are the same. Only size available is what's on the shelf but you can order online.

SuperBowserWorld

Gonna miss those fiddly blue pens, the catalogue and the excitement while you wait for the goods. Was dead handy for some stuff, you could check if it was available and pick it up immediately or reserve and pick up at leisure. And no problem with returns.

The Irish web site was pants but not the end of the world. And you never had to pay online ... just pay when you collect in cash/whatever.

So, it's a very handy option that's gone.

Mam of 4

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120131415#Comment_120131415

I think that's what the one that'll be opening here will basically be , a Showroom, for bedrooms, kitchens etc . From what I gathered from the info online anyway.

Argos will be missed here in town imo . So handy for picking up presents for kids , or have a browse online in the evening, click and reserve, collect the next day .

Strumms

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120131382#Comment_120131382

True, but a Jysk are just household right ? Argos really had everything.

road_high

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120131449#Comment_120131449

Yea- kind of household stuff and also lots of furniture, bedding, bathroom (like ikea type stuff), also office stuff too. Seasonal too for gardening. I’ve bought a lot more there in the past 5 years than in Argos. And we don’t even have a Jysk where I live