Argos, the popular retailer owned by the Sainsbury’s Group, has announced the closure of all its 34 stores in Ireland by the end of today.

This decision comes after the closure of four sites earlier, with the remaining thirty stores set to shut their doors for good. Sainsbury’s confirmed that all Argos stores in Ireland would cease operations by 5pm today.

The company cited a lengthy period of careful consideration and a thorough review of its business and operations in Ireland as the driving factors behind this decision. Argos had opened its first store in the Republic in 1996. However, the company deemed the investment required to develop and modernize its Irish operations as unviable, choosing instead to allocate resources elsewhere.

Customers will have the opportunity to shop at Argos until the final closure today. However, the move puts approximately 580 jobs at risk, equivalent to around 330 full-time positions. The hours worked by the staff are set to be affected by this decision.

While most employees will be eligible for redundancy under Irish law, a small number of staff members will not qualify. Instead, these employees are expected to receive a one-off goodwill payment.

The closure of Argos stores in Ireland marks the end of an era for the retailer, which has been serving Irish customers for over two decades. As the final hours tick away, both employees and customers bid farewell to this beloved retail chain, leaving behind memories and a sense of loss for the communities it served.

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