City Argos store will not reopen
A CITY centre Argos store has been closed permanently and will not reopen.
The company’s branch, in London Road, Derby, has had its doors closed since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, in March 2020.
There had been concern from some shoppers that the store would not reopen after the signage outside was removed and the shutters left down.
This was fuelled even further when the branch was taken off the Argos website.
Now the retailer, which is owned by Sainsbury’s, has confirmed to that the London Road store has closed for good.
A spokesperson for the company said: “Derby Argos store on London Road has been closed since March and will remain closed permanently.”
It means people wanting to collect items from the retailer in Derby will have to travel to Sainsbury’s stores at the Wyvern Centre, or at Osmaston Park, where there are branches inside the supermarkets.
The news comes after Argos announced it was closing 420 standalone branches across the UK, including 120 which have not reopened since March last year. Those 120 stores, which include the one in London Road, will remain closed, with the company saying many staff have already been moved to other Argos stores and Sainsbury’s supermarkets.
The company said all the closures would take place by March 2024 and would bring the number of standalone stores down to around 100.
In the meantime it said it is planning to open 350 more Argos stores and collection points in Sainsbury’s supermarkets at the same time.
In a statement released in November, Simon Roberts, chief executive of J Sainsbury plc, said: “Argos sales have been strong over the past six months and we have gained almost two million new customers as people have re-connected with Argos.
“Over the next three years we will make Argos a simpler, more efficient and more profitable business while still offering customers great convenience and value and improving availability.”
He added staff were being informed how it would impact on them, with most being offered alternative jobs within the company.
He said: “We will work really hard to find alternative roles for as many of these colleagues as possible and expect to be able to offer alternative roles for the majority of impacted colleagues. Given the unprecedented circumstances of this year and the challenges facing our colleagues, including the changes we are announcing today, I have informed the Board that if a bonus is payable, I will waive any bonus entitlement for this financial year.”