Festive sales fall 9% at Argos

DECLINING sales of consumer electronic equipment over the festive period dragged seasonal sales at catalogue retailer Argos down by nearly 9%.

Sales for the 18 weeks to December 31 amounted to £1.72 billion (€2.05bn); down by 8.8% on the same period last year.

“The consumer electronics market, in particular video gaming and audio, remained weak and has continued to account for the majority of the reduction in Argos’ sales, although laptops and tablets remain strong performers,” said Terry Duddy, chief executive of Home Retail Group, which owns both Argos and DIY chain Homebase.