Argos to close all Irish stores starting March

B.A._Baracus · 19-01-2023 12:13PM #1

Just on the news.

https://www.fm104.ie/news/fm104-news/breaking-argos-to-close-all-irish-outlets/

It was always handy to pick stuff up. Especially at Christmas. But just the way it goes.

ben.schlomo · 19-01-2023 12:15PM

Meh, haven't bought anything with them in over 2 years. Website was a pain, stores were uninviting and customer service wasn't great for any issues.

Slime Princess · 19-01-2023 12:16PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058280320/argos-to-close-all-irish-stores-starting-march

Awful, Argos was always a great place to pick up stuff and they were usually good value. Their returns policy was excellent. Terrible news for all the staff. Soon they'll be nothing left but Bezos.

kirk. · 19-01-2023 12:22PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120128491#Comment_120128491

When the Chinese finally close down

B.A._Baracus · 19-01-2023 12:27PM

Just under 40 stores in Ireland and more than 400 to lose jobs.

https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/more-than-400-jobs-to-be-lost-as-argos-to-close-all-irish-stores-42298572.html

Another Irish Examiner article says:

"It is understood staff were told the trading conditions in Ireland, including rents and the overall cost of doing business here, were the reasons behind the closure."

That... and of course Amazon

Padre_Pio · 19-01-2023 12:28PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120128491#Comment_120128491

Never the first stop for me.

They were usually more expensive for brand stuff, and their own brand quality was poor enough. the quality of Habitat went really downhill after Argos added them and it's no better than Ikea.

They do decent sales, and I'm popping in to get some things later at half price.

Honestly, I think Argos is just out of date. It's essentially a trade counter. They stopped printing Argos Catalogs years ago.

Why go to the Argos website and then drive to the shop, when you can just go to Amazon and your items come to you? Id say the Amazon distribution centre in Dublin was the final nail in the coffin.

NIMAN · 19-01-2023 12:29PM

Does that include NI?

B.A._Baracus · 19-01-2023 12:30PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120128552#Comment_120128552

Just says Ireland.... for now.

NIMAN · 19-01-2023 12:32PM

Surely Argos is a busy store? Does good business?

I know the one in Derry would anyway. Use it a lot. Its generally busy when in.

Maybe it's a Brexit or cross border related issue?

SteM · 19-01-2023 12:33PM

Just the cycle of retail life I'm afraid. I've no doubt Argos coming into the Irish market shut down a lot of local shops and now they're being done by online retail.

RedXIV · 19-01-2023 12:34PM

Used to get the odd cracking deal in there for tech stuff and games.

And while the website wasn't exactly star quality, it was handy being able to reserve and pick up things.

A definite loss for consumers and a massive blow to nostalgia of picking through the argo catalog as a child coming up to Christmas to pick out presents to add to the santa list :(

AMKC · 19-01-2023 12:35PM

Will there be any good closing down deals from this I wonder. Must keep a watch for some.

FrancieBrady · 19-01-2023 12:36PM

Long ago outsripped by the ease of shopping online. Haven't even browsed it's catalogue in must be 5 years. As somebody is saying on RTE now, business model no longer feasible.

Slime Princess · 19-01-2023 12:37PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120128588#Comment_120128588

probably not, just circulate stock back in to the UK stores.

GLaDOS · 19-01-2023 12:38PM

Really disappointed to hear that. Always handy for getting things at short notice.

Larbre34 · 19-01-2023 12:39PM

Now that I think of it, the last time I went into an Argos branch, about 4 months ago, it was dead.

Handy to have around for something urgent, but really you can't expect them to keep such big stores open for the odd customer to drift in.

There are more than enough jobs ooen elsewhere for the 400 to be absorbed easily. Hopefully the closures will lead to more shopping local.

Padre_Pio · 19-01-2023 12:40PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120128588#Comment_120128588

They'll do a sale, but I'd say the majority of stock will be dispersed to other Argos stores in the UK.

Furze99 · 19-01-2023 12:43PM

Bought a bit of stuff in Argos over the years and never had any problem at all with replacements if issues with goods. Had an insurance thing as well which was worth it for more delicate goods - must have replaced several headphone sets like this with no quibble. Which is quite the contrast with the likes of others who want you to send it off to some address at your own expense.

But catalogue shopping is dead & gone. Amazon? haven't bought anything off them since Brexit.

hoodie6029 · 19-01-2023 12:48PM

All shops to close by June 24th. The Waterford one has looked a bit down on its luck the last few days that I’ve been in. Still a shock. They must have started operating here nearly 30 years ago.

The Range opening here probably had an impact too. It is essentially an Argos you can walk around.

19-01-2023 12:50PM

Completely outdated business model, surprised they managed to hold on this long. The rent on their storerooms alone must be astronomical.

Have to laugh at the amazon comments, as if this is some mom and pop independent retailer or something, instead of a gigantic UK behemoth with almost half a billion in revenue each quarter. They were essentially a B&M version of Amazon before Bezos inherited his blood money, trying to be a jack-of-all-trades kind of shop, while not being exceptionally good at anything.

Their reservation system is all I'll miss about them, really.

afatbollix · 19-01-2023 12:50PM

It was great when you needed something ASAP when you couldn't wait.

This is 100% Brexit, All that extra paperwork is not worth it for English shops. I'd say we will see some more close soon too especially in the clothes world.

lertsnim · 19-01-2023 12:51PM

It's a pity they're leaving the Irish market. I have found them useful many times.

NIMAN · 19-01-2023 12:53PM

Argos was always handy.

You could pick up anything from t-shirts, to kettles, to tvs. They were very convenient for random things you didn't want to wait for online, my last purchase was water filter cartridges.

It'll be a loss locally, although no mention on the BBC NI site, so assuming the NI stores are unaffected, for now.

Plus, they were never any hassle for returns. Never had a problem. Once bought a TV and the picture was poor on it, took it back and asked was it broke, I said picture was crap, and they took it off me.

hoodie6029 · 19-01-2023 12:55PM

Just remembered that when The Spire was built the Council put a time capsule underneath it containing an Argos catalogue.

griffin100 · 19-01-2023 12:56PM

I'm old enough to remember when if you knew anyone going to England you would give them a long list of stuff to buy in Argos as they were always cheaper than shopping at home and they had so much choice. I found them handy for stuff you didn't want to order online and wait for a delivery as the nearest store was only 20 minutes from home but as online delivery times have improved I have gone in less and less.

They have been planning on shutting stores across the UK for a while now (https://www.bbc.com/news/business-54818644) so no surprise really.

NIMAN · 19-01-2023 12:59PM

I think the same group own Homebase and Argos?

blarney_boy · 19-01-2023 01:00PM

Yeah, like a lot of other posters, I haven't shopped in Argos for ages (save for the odd bargain alert :-)

They have a number of stores in Cork, all in prime retail locations and as others have mentioned, the annual rent / rates on these must be colossal

Shame to see them go, but that's capitalism . . .

Padre_Pio · 19-01-2023 01:01PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120128725#Comment_120128725

Not recently.

edit: Home Retail Group used to own both, then they sold Homebase to some Australian crowd and then Sainsbury's bought Home Retail Group.

I remember working in Homebase back in college and getting a 10% Argos discount.

Gregor Samsa · 19-01-2023 01:02PM

Damn, I picked the wrong time to quit my job and open a tiny pen factory.

SteM · 19-01-2023 01:03PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120128710#Comment_120128710

I seem to recall going to one in the UK when I was a kid and the stuff you ordered from the catalogue came out from the back on a conveyer belt for you to pick up. Maybe I'm misremembering.

Montage of Feck · 19-01-2023 01:04PM

Sad to hear but the decision to get rid of the catalogue without updating the website was bound to end badly, never mind Brexit. In the days before the internet the Argos catalogue was a consumerist bible to be found in some corner of nearly every home.

It was a handy place to pick up odd bits and bobs, an area that amazon now has an almost monopoly on.

Argos to close all Irish stores starting March

Comments