Argos is to close all its stores in the Republic of Ireland at the end of June this year.
Argos, which is owned by Sainsburys, has 34 outlets in the Republic of Ireland.
The trade union Mandate said it had been informed that the retailer was "shutting down its complete operation in Ireland."
The company said the investment needed to modernise its operations in the Republic of Ireland was not viable.
The most recent accounts for the Irish operation showed a pre-tax loss of €13m (£11.4m) in 2022.
In a statement the company said that it recognised the news would be "unsettling" for colleagues "some of whom have served Argos customers in Ireland for many years".
Argos said it was committed to doing everything it could to support them and was talking to 580 colleagues in stores about their options.
Argos is a retailer of general merchandise products, including toys, technology and consumer electronics.
The statement from the company said the decision to leave the Republic of Ireland had followed "careful consideration and a thorough review of its business and operations" in the country.
Argos operates a bespoke model in the Republic of Ireland that is different to its UK stores.
The company said there would be no change to the retailer’s operations in Northern Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales.
The statement said Argos was performing well in its UK stores.
'Not made this decision lightly'
The company is proposing an enhanced redundancy package for staff that "goes well beyond its statutory obligations," the statement said.
It said a small number of staff not eligible for redundancy under Irish Law would receive a one-off goodwill payment.
“We have not made this decision lightly and we are doing everything we can to support those impacted," said Andy McClelland, Argos Ireland operations manager.
"On behalf of everyone at Argos I would like to thank our colleagues, customers, suppliers and partners for their support to our business,” he added.
Argos stores will remain open to customers in the Republic of Ireland until 24 June.
Customers in Ireland will no longer be able to pay for orders via the Argos website or place orders via its home delivery service after 22 March 2023.
Orders placed up to this date will continue to be fulfilled and customers will still be able to reserve products online and pay for them in store until the point of business closure.
The aftersales, returns, refunds and exchanges policy will continue to apply until Argos stores close.
Michael Meegan from the Mandate union said it was a "difficult" day for staff.
She added that the union would be engaging with the company to get "the best possible deal for the workers who are being made redundant."
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2023-01-19 12:08:36Z
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