Argos distribution staff have voted to strike over pay after rejecting a 4 per cent offer from the chain’s parent, Home Retail Group.

Trade union Unite said 67 per cent of staff that participated in the ballot voted to strike and that turnout was 75 per cent.

Unite national secretary Jennie Formby said: “Argos now faces severe disruption to their customer distribution service.”

She said that staff at Argos's distribution centres at Basildon in Essex, Bridgwater in Somerset, Heywood in Greater Manchester and Magna Park in Leicestershire will initiate a series of 24-hour strikes, escalating to a four-day stoppage.

Formby said: “A below-inflation wage offer is a pay cut and this is totally unacceptable to our members. They are already struggling to keep up with rising food and energy costs.”

Argos said in a statement that it believed its pay offer was very competitive and that the union had made various proposals to resolve the issue. Eleven of its 15 distribution centres will be unaffected by the strike decision.

Argos said: "If we are unable to reach agreement and industrial action goes ahead, we have contingency plans in place that will minimise the effect on our customers’ shopping experience."