// Argos to shutter all stores in Republic of Ireland
// The decision to leave Ireland comes after a long period of “careful consideration”
Argos plans to close all its stores in the Republic of Ireland by this summer, which will result in 580 employees losing their jobs.
The Sainsbury’s-owned retailer has 34 stores in Ireland and said the decision to leave comes after a long period of “careful consideration” and a “thorough review” of its business and operations in the country.
Argos said it would propose an enhanced redundancy package for the affected workers during negotiations with trade union Mandate.
Subscribe to Retail Gazette for free
Sign up here to get the latest news straight into your inbox each morning
It said the investment required to develop and modernise the Irish division of its business was “not viable”, and that the money would be better invested in other parts of the business.
Argos Ireland operations manager, Andy McClelland said: “We understand this is difficult news for our customers and colleagues.
“As with any major change to our business, we have not made this decision lightly and we are doing everything we can to support those impacted.
“On behalf of everyone at Argos I would like to thank our colleagues, customers, suppliers and partners for their support to our business.”
Argos said its UK operations were “performing well” and were unaffected by the announcement.
The majority of Argos stores will remain open to customers in the Republic of Ireland until June 24.
Customers in Ireland will no longer be able to pay for orders via the Argos website or place orders via its home delivery service after March 22.
