‘What a pity’, commiserate customers as high street stalwart with over 1,000 branches closes location in HOURS

SHOPPERS of a popular store are in bits today as their local branch is set to close for good.

They shared their upset online as the shop with “very kind and friendly” staff will clock out for the last time in a matter of hours.

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The closure of Dundee’s Argos branch, which sits in the Overgate shopping centre, was announced last month after serving loyal customers for over two decades.

According to the shopping centre’s manager, the firm’s execs decided against renewing their lease, and the blow is just another example of Brits’ fears that high street shopping is on its way out. 

At the time, a spokesperson told The Courier: “We are currently talking to our colleagues in our Dundee Overgate Argos store.

“We have made the difficult decision to close it and are supporting them in every way we can.

“This includes exploring opportunities for colleagues to redeploy within Argos and Sainsbury’s.”

Locals leaped online to share their anger at the closure, after becoming annoyed that they would have to rely solely on online orders that would be delivered to branches of the store’s parent company, Sainsbury’s.

One disgruntled local said: “Sad times for the city, all that money invested into the waterfront was a waste of money.”

While a second local said: “That’s rubbish, we don’t have one in Perth and it’s a wee Sainsbury’s you can get it delivered to, but most of the time it’s not available for delivery.”

A third said: “What a pity shops are closing, but you know the saying, ‘If you don’t use them you lose them’.”

And a fourth mucked in with: “There will soon be nothing in Dundee.”

Sainsbury’s has said the closure is part of plans to expand Argos’ presence in supermarkets.. 

The family-favourite brand has already shut more than 45 branches in the last 12 months and opened over 25 branches inside Sainsbury’s stores.

This month Sainsbury’s expects to have 160 standalone stores and between 430 and 460 Argos counters inside its supermarkets.

The retailer was founded in 1973 and sells more than 60,000 products including tech, home and garden, toys and appliances.

HIGH STREET SHOPPING WORRIES

Troubling closures continue to fuel the flames of a dystopian online-only shopping future – leaving Brits worried about employment, and losing the enjoyment of spending the day in their favourite stores.

And the worries seem to be well-informed since other companies have announced closures this year as well. 

Body shop, Iceland and Lidl have all announced closures this month and as the year progresses more shops could say goodbye to their customers.

Figures provided by the Centre for Retail Research revealed over 10,000 shops closed for the last time in 2023, with almost 120,000 jobs lost.

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This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk