THE Argos store which has served Hexham for decades looks to have closed permanently.

The popular outlet, on Fore Street, did not re-open its doors following the first lockdown earlier this year.

Now Sainsbury’s, which has owned Argos since 2016, appeared to confirm that the store would not operate in the future.

Without making specific reference to the Hexham store, a spokeswoman for Sainsbury’s said: “Any standalone Argos store which has not re-opened since March will remain closed permanently.”

The news emerged as Sainsbury’s announced it planned to cut 3,500 jobs with the closure of 420 Argos outlets, as well as all of its meat, fish and deli counters.

The company said that the outlets would close by March 2024, while those already closed would remain out of action.

It is not known how many staff at the Hexham store the decision will affect.

But the spokeswoman added: “Although we will aim to find alternative roles for as many colleagues as possible, around 3,500 of our colleagues across Argos standalone stores and Sainsbury’s counters could lose their roles as a result of the changes.

“We have said we have job opportunities for everyone but we recognise that vacancies might not always be in the right location or at suitable hours for all colleagues.”

The company said that nationwide, some staff would be redeployed at other Argos stores and also at busy Sainsbury’s supermarkets.

The spokeswoman added: “We will do everything possible to find them alternative, permanent roles within the business when this concludes in the New Year.”

The Argos store in Hexham remained popular despite an increase in online shopping.