AN iconic high street brand is set to close another store for good this spring with more closures set to follow.
Argos will be pulling down the shutters on its Hull St Stephens store within the next few months.
GettyArgos will be shutting the doors on another store within months[/caption]
It comes as part of a restructuring which will see a handful of standalone stores on high streets and in shopping centres moved into Sainsbury’s supermarkets.
Several have already been announced for closure and some have already shut this year.
An Argos spokesperson told The Sun: “To make shopping convenient for customers and to enable us to invest where it matters most, we are relocating many of our standalone Argos stores to Sainsbury’s – this includes our Hull St Stephens Argos.
“We understand this will be an unsettling time for those affected and we are supporting them in any we can, including offering colleagues the opportunity to redeploy to other roles within Sainsbury’s and Argos.”
In its place, a new Argos concession will be opening inside Sainsbury’s Hull later on this year.
No official date has been given yet though.
“Our customers will be able to enjoy greater convenience and choice as it will enable them to purchase technology, home and toy products from Argos while picking up their groceries,” the spokesperson added.
Argos’ Coatbridge branch in Lanarkshire, Scotland shut its doors forever on Saturday, March 11.
Cardiff Bay’s Argos will close in July – but Sainsbury’s has not yet given an exact date.
Argos will then close its Newport, Wales branch later on in the summer.
It follows the closures of two standalone Argos branches in January.
The Coventry City Arcade store pulled down the shutters for the final time on January 7.
Argos closed its flagship store in Nottingham City Centre on January 14.
Branches in Bolton Bridge Street and Doncaster are among several to close by the end of last year, as part of Sainsbury’s existing plans to shut 50 standalone branches by March 2023.
But some locations, like Doncaster, have since had new Argos outlets added in nearby Sainsbury’s stores.
Argos is moving away from the high street and expanding its presence in supermarkets, with concessions inside branches.
By the end of March 2023, the retailer had opened 25 Argos locations inside Sainsbury’s stores.
By March 2024, Sainsbury’s expects to have 160 standalone stores and between 430 and 460 Argos counters inside Sainsbury’s supermarkets.
The latest closures come after the retailer announced it will shut all its 34 stores in the Republic of Ireland.
It will withdraw from Ireland completely on June 24.
It made the decision to leave Ireland following “careful consideration” and a “thorough review” of its business and operations in the country.
We’ve listed all of the shops and chains closing down this year.
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