Argos to close all Irish stores starting March

Microsoft & now Argos.

Not a good week for Irish jobs

Fr Tod Umptious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120128875#Comment_120128875

I never heard the total, just knew that the show was doing it.

Found this about it here on boards

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2055170876/donegal-winner-of-argos-competiion

Fr Tod Umptious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120128957#Comment_120128957

As well as being located in the middle of towns, they rarely opened late either. Always closed at 6pm in the one closest to me, even at Christmas time.

Xander10

haven't used them in years. Probably missed a trick when they stopped the catalogues.

techman1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120128671#Comment_120128671

Yea and also higher rents and extra irish government related bureaucracy apart from brexit like the "gender pay gap " return , highly unlikely that it would be an issue in retail anyway but just the extra work load involved in having to complete it.

Just makes NI even more attractive for shopping get your non MUP beer and argos stuff aswell while in Newry. As Borat would say "Great Success "

tobefrank321

A bit sad about this to be honest. It does feel like the traditional walk-in shop is dying out. I think we all had fond memories of walking into Extravision on a weekend evening and seeing what titles they have. Same with Argos.

I don't agree its easier to order stuff online always. You can be a week or several weeks for it to arrive, and returns are not always straight forward.

You could drive to your local argos and buy several things at once and have them on the same day.

MarkR

Great store for bits and pieces needed quick. I don't think we'll see another bricks and mortar store with variety like that again. More amazon for me I suppose.

SuperBowserWorld

Think the UK Argos web site was much more modern. They never bothered with the Irish one. At least that's what I read on Reddit. 🥴

MrMusician18

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120128972#Comment_120128972

Lol, how parochial!

DubDani

The writing was on the wall. Argos Ireland lost some 13 mil. Euro last year.

Even in the UK they have had to make a lot of changes as well to try to lower their cost base. Where possible they have moved Argos counters from independent premises into Sainsbury Supermarkets, like for example in Newry. Up until a few years ago Newry had two separate Argos shops, now there is only the counter in the local Sainsbury.

road_high

When a retailer is losing that amount of money it usually means curtains. The investment needed to correct the issues just won’t be there

Oscar_Madison

A lot of people here saying “a handy place to pick up odds and ends”- and that’s likely one of the reasons it’s closing- you couldn’t possibly survive when people are only buying small cheap items occasionally- similar to myself, I’ve only used it to buy mop replacement cloths in the last year and a few other minor things- sad to see it go but I don’t think I’ll miss it TBH

sonofenoch

Shame how long have they been around? served a purpose but guess the likes of Amazon are too big to compete with

I went in there a lot for stuff years ago, but I just realised I haven't been in YEARS. Mainly because I can get most stuff with free delivery on Amazon or elsewhere.

flazio

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120128745#Comment_120128745

Talk to Paddy Power, you'll be alright.

Growing up, Argos catalogue was how I learned the price of things.

Just this week, after my Kris Kringle picked out the wrong type of coffee machine over Christmas(not from Argos), they returned it I went to the argos website, picked one within budget and sent them the reservation code to collect and pay. Done and done.

Sephiroth_dude

Was gutted when the store in the Queens old castle closed here in Cork, always handy to go in and get something quick. Maplins was another store I was gutted to see go.

MrMusician18

Hard to see how they could survive with the huge inventory, Brexit and online competition. I never found them particularly good value but for some oddball item that you didn't want to go searching for - you could check the catalogue and pick up that day.

The closure points to a mailise in retail in Ireland - the sector is undoubtedly shrinking and to be honest I'd rather see policy makers accept that reality instead of trying to hold back the tide. To that end, I'd be encouraging new non retail uses for disused big box units on the edge of towns and if that is not realistic, help with returning these sites to greenfield.

We don't need hollowed out towns and run down suburbs as well.

touts

Used to shop there a lot. Looked back through my orders and realised I only got 4 things there in 2022.

The big problem they had was their website. You had to click on about 5 links to see if something was in stock and sometimes that wasn't accurate. I gave up more times than I bought something.

Geuze

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120128541#Comment_120128541

I keep saying it.

Commercial rents are way too high here.

Retail rents in Galway exceed Edinburgh, Birmingham and Manchester.

silverharp

its old tech, you have to research what you want then drive somewhere where you cant browse and compare easily when buying so its worse than a shop and worse than buying off the net. Imagewise it was never great, felt like going into a bookies or a social welfare office

Badly Drunk Boy

I've had a €200 voucher for Argos for the past 2 years and have been struggling to use it. The few things I've wanted were always 'out of stock'. I'd better get a move on and use it. The validity 'til 2026 is no use if the shop isn't there...

In all of its time in Ireland I don't think that I have purchased a single

item from them. I don't purchase online either, I go straight to a shop & purchase.

Genuinely sorry though for those losing their jobs!

Badly Drunk Boy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120128972#Comment_120128972

On a different Boards thread, here's what the winner guessed, being just €150 off:

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/54651806#Comment_54651806

Padre_Pio

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120129300#Comment_120129300

Hah, that's brilliant.

I'd love to guess the value of only Argos items currently stocked in Irish stores. Likely a lot less.

Autosport

The Kilkenny branch was closing in June this year but now to hear all stores are closing is sad. Sorry for all the staff and hopefully they’ll get a good redundancy

B.A._Baracus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120129275#Comment_120129275

Yeah. I'd be going down tomorrow if I were you. Better to use it than lose it as they say.

If you still can't find anything you want. Just buy birthday presents for whoever and hold on to them.

murpho999

People saying this is all to do with Brexit have no idea.

It's the business model that is the problem Archaic and no competition to online options.

Was in Dundrum store 2 weeks ago it was empty.

Also, they were rip off merchants as they were dearer than everywhere else.

Decline is nothing to do with Brexit and I'd say their UK stores are in trouble too especially with the poor UK economic outlook.

Furze99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120128828#Comment_120128828

Anytime I've looked up amazon.co.uk in last year or so, they can't deliver this, that or the other to Ireland and what they do ship, they want to charge steeply enough for delivery. Have ordered off german amazon but stuff takes a good while to come.

Tork

I'm sorry to see them go. It was handy if you wanted to buy something quickly and didn't want to wait for online delivery.

Furze99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120129513#Comment_120129513

Brexit is a total pain in the arse for any business trading between here and UK - and when things are a pain in the arse, you give up and look elsewhere.

tiredblondie

Bought my Ninja Dual Air Fryer a couple of weeks ago in Argos when nowhere else had them in stock!

Would often pick up a few bits and pieces (mainly little furniture bits and bobs) so a shame to see it go

superflyninja

Awful news. Argos was the next best thing to buying online. Usually competitive prices. Real shame.It was always handy at Christmas and for picking up random bits and bobs that might be hard to get elsewhere.

murpho999

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120129516#Comment_120129516

That's all changed since opening of warehouse in Ireland and Amazon prime sub reduces delivery drastically.

Also, look at Amazon website compared to Argos. Night and day Argos website not updated in years.

StreetLight

No surprise about this. The writing was on the wall for ages. Anytime I tried to search for stuff, more often than not it was Out Of Stock.

Mister Vain

It's not surprising with the way things have gone. I always found Argos to be the most expensive, at least for electrical goods anyway.

murpho999

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120129552#Comment_120129552

They were not competitively priced at all. Usually dearer for branded goods.

BrianD3

I'm disappointed to hear this as I probably spent an average of 500 euro per year in Argos especially since Brexit as I stopped buying stuff online from the UK. Everything from computers to exercise equipment, bits and pieces, tools, cables. LIDL/ALDI middle aisle type stuff without having to wait.

Flinty997

Mismanaged even before Covid.

Mav11

I'll be sad to see it go.

I imagine that the shift to WFH was also a factor in the closure. Not as many people popping out at lunchtime to pick up a few bits.

murpho999

Part of me likes that our towns and shopping centres are not full of large UK stores.

Never liked how Irish Main Streets were turning into the same as High Streets in the UK.

We're moving away from UK and connecting to the rest of Europe and the world.

Loafing Oaf

Farewell then to the laminated book of dreams and the pale mythical wardens of the treasure

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggOa9aSG-Ow

Got a nice laundry basket in the Castlebar branch last year, must pick up another one before they close...

Quitelife

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

Many UK high streets are full of vacant units, a few poundlands and Phone repair shops, be the same here soon

cj maxx

Im not that bothered. Been getting spam emails from them saying ive won vouchers, pure spamming now though it may have been argos uk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120129275#Comment_120129275

Buy a single item for the full value and then sell on Adverts.

Or you could sell the voucher itself for a bit less than its face value.

HildaOgdenx

Sorry to see them go. I always found them handy for various bits and pieces.

Another empty unit in shopping centres/ retail units nationwide.

I hope that things work out well for the staff.

Tippman24

My kids would have me driven demented when the new Argos Catalogue would be coming out. This was in the pre internet days and yet they knew when the bloody thing was due in the Stores. Day of its arrival would be ordered to get same. I would always get 2 as it stopped a few rows breaking out. A few times I felt that the best and only thing they should get for Christmas was the Catalogue.

Juran

I remember in the 80's, when we were kids, we used to go over to visit aunts & uncles in London. We used to love picking out stuff in the Argos catalogue and going in there to pick up our bits, with our hard earn holiday money. We used to bring the catalogue home and read every page of it over and over for the next year.

Phil.x

It's a sad day for staff and bricks and mortar shops, outdated business method IMHO. Jesus will there be any shops other than coffee and fast food left. Curse you amazon and all your convenience and competitive pricing.

Fr Tod Umptious

When the kids were in junior infants and learning letters they used to have to stick pictures in their book of items that started with A, B, C etc.

We used to use the Argos catalog to find pictures to cut out and stick.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120129913#Comment_120129913

And E bay too.