Irish Examiner view: Buyers’ remorse

Retail retreat

Argos closed the last of its stores in the Republic on Saturday. Picture: Sasko Lazarov/RollingNews.ie

Around the time of Brexit, there were scores of internet memes about the damage leaving the EU would do to the UK economy. One illustrated a handgun with the barrel bent back towards the user to deliver a self-inflicted wound; a spoof Ladybird book cover showed a stone-age man using a flint axe and the headline ‘Britain’s economy’.

Some of that is coming to pass as British retailer Argos closed the last of its 34 stores in the Republic on Saturday and frozen food specialist Iceland considers its future in the teeth of EU consumer legislation which has forced the withdrawal of animal goods.