Importance of online sale for Argos revealed

Tuesday, June 14, 2016 - 09:40 by David Aiken

Almost half of all purchases made from Argos in the first three months of 2016 were generated via shopping online, according to the retailer’s parent company, Home Retail Group.

This represents a 16 per cent year on year increase and shows that customers of this traditionally catalogue-oriented outlet have eagerly made the shift to e-commerce because of the convenience that this approach offers.

It was also announced that 29 per cent of all sales were made through mobile devices including smartphones and tablets during the same period, suggesting that purchases originating from desktop and laptop computers are falling out of favour with Argos customers.

Back in 2012, a campaign to shift its focus towards digital platforms was initiated by Argos and in the intervening period it seems to have successfully made this leap and convinced consumers to embrace an approach which privileges e-commerce over in-store visits.

Of course, the popularity of click and collect has helped Argos to get more people to buy or reserve items via safe shopping online and then visit their nearest outlet to pick it up in person. This has allowed it to post impressive sales figures this year, in spite of the fact that the retail market as a whole has been going through a rough patch.

Home Retail Group spokesperson, John Walden, said that the digital transformation of Argos had been moving ahead smoothly, resulting in the best first quarter performance since 2013. And its position is being cemented thanks to the opening of a number of new stores.

Supermarket giant, Sainsbury’s, is seeking to acquire Argos from Home Retail Group at the moment and this impressive growth in online sales will no doubt help to make the deal look even more appealing to the prospective new owners.