Last month, Argos announced plans to close all its stores in the Republic of Ireland, where it currently employs 580 people in 34 branches.Īrgos said it arrived at the decision to leave Ireland following a long period of 'careful consideration' and a 'thorough review' of its business and operations in the country.
'The new three-site general merchandise network will improve productivity and the working environment, as well as increasing resilience and flexibility for the future,' it said. 'If Sainsbury's doesn't drop its closure plans then Unite will pursue all avenues to preserve employment at these sites.'īut Sainsbury's insisted the changes, together with the ongoing expansion of its local warehouse network across the UK, would improve availability, reduce stock and allow faster customer deliveries. 'This is an incredibly wealthy company which should be investing in its loyal workforce rather than dumping workers in pursuit of short-term profits. 'Unite will be fighting to preserve every job and will put forward an alternative business case to the company to preserve employment at these two sites. Unite national officer Matt Draper said: 'Management at Argos/Sainsbury's has yet to provide any form of business case for the loss of these jobs. Trade union Unite said that there was no 'economic justification' for the closures. It said that workers impacted by the decision will be able to 'explore alternative roles' within the group. 'This also allows us to reduce costs, so we can invest where it will make the most impact for our customers.' 'Over the last few years, we've been working hard to transform this network as we make our business simpler, more efficient and more effective for customers. 'As part of our plan to create a simpler business, we previously set out our intention to integrate our Argos and Sainsbury's logistics networks. Simon Roberts, chief executive of Sainsbury's, said: 'As with any major change to our business, we have not taken the difficult decision to start this consultation lightly. Research by the Centre for Retail Research recently revealed that UK retailers have slashed almost 15,000 jobs since the start of 2023 after a raft of collapses and restructurings on the high street. The job cuts come amid a wider cull in the supermarket sector, with Tesco and Asda also recently announcing moves to axe roles as they slash costs in the face of stiff competition from discounters Aldi and Lidl, as well as surging inflation and consumer spending cutbacks. However, it announced alongside the changes that its three remaining Habitat showrooms will close later this year as it plans to launch a replacement digital showroom, which will see a small number of Habitat workers affected. The supermarket giant has confirmed it is aiming to shut its Argos warehouse in Basildon, Essex, and a depot in Heywood, Greater Manchester, by 2026.
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