United Kingdom: number of Argos stores 2011-2024

British catalogue retailer Argos’ parent company Home Retail Group was taken over by supermarket chain Sainsbury’s in April 2016. The acquisition resulted in the opening of several Argos units inside Sainsbury’s supermarkets. As displayed in this statistic, by 2024, the total number of Argos stores across the UK equaled 659, a decrease from the previous year. This number included Argos’ own shops as well as stores inside Sainsbury’s and the DIY retailer Homebase.

Sainsbury’s integration

As part of plans to further integrate Argos into their core businesses, Sainsbury’s has continued with their strategy to open up more Argos shops inside their supermarkets, whilst closing stand-alone stores. Additionally, the supermarket chain introduced click and collect locations for Argos orders across a number of Sainsbury’s Local stores.

A true multichannel business

Argos’ business model allows the retailer to combine online and physical sales. Over the years, Argos digital purchases soared and since 2017 account for more than half of the retailer’s total sales. As a typical multichannel retailer of general merchandise, Argos offers its customers click-and-reserve and fast-track collection options.