Argos in Ashford site up for rent and could become two stores
06:00, 28 May 2019
updated: 08:39, 28 May 2019
The former Argos building in a town centre has been put up to let - and interested parties are being given the chance to split the site.
The prime New Rents spot previously housed decorating specialist Fads and a Superdrug store but was knocked into one when Argos arrived in Ashford in 1996.
It now contains 8,600 sq ft of floorspace, with the shop floor once occupied by the catalogue retailer comprising only a small amount of that.
Spread across two buildings and complete with two toilets, a goods lift and a rear loading bay, letting agent Stafford and Perkins is seeking a rental price of £110,000 a year plus VAT.
The is currently listed as having a rateable value of £104,000, resulting in an annual business rate of £52,146.
Included in the lot is an upstairs storage room measuring 1,600 sq ft.
Richard Stafford, who's letting out the premises, said: "We've had a couple of sniffs but no one has made an offer yet.
"It's probable we'll split it. While we're offering it as one whole property, we're quite happy to divide it into two.
"We fully accept it's a big chunk of space so we're happy to look into any interest for either the whole lot or two halves."
Despite Argos still retaining the lease, the units are available immediately.
Argos vacated the shop last June following the sale of its parent company, the Home Retail Group, to Sainsbury's for £1.4 billion in 2016.
The catalogue giant can now be found inside Sainsbury's on the Warren Retail Park.
Argos was the first of three major shops to announce its departure from the high street, with Marks & Spencer closing earlier this month and Debenhams' days numbered.
