ARGOS SUPERSTORE UK ONLINE CATALOGUE

The Argos  catalogue is packed with great gift ideas at great prices. Argos invests heavily on advertising their products in the UK national press and online because there are so many bargains in their catalogue. The buying power of Argos means they can pass these savings onto us- the customers!

The new 2011 catalogue has just been released and has many new features and a large increase in the amount of products now on offer, both online and in the paper catalogue. There is a real focus on value, which is what most customers want to see in these challenging financial times. There are also some very good christmas deals on at the moment so it's well worth heading over to argos.co.uk to check what's new. As always you can buy direct from the online store, or use the new argos app if you are on the go. The new app has been downloaded by millions of shoppers and offers a fast and effective way to view all the products that Argos sells. If you have any problems with anything you can get in touch with the "argos helpers" on twitter, or simply phone them up.  And don't forget the new television channel if you want to see demonstrations of products, you can watch online from the main website link, or watch on digital tv.

We have all seen the fancy adverts from Argos on TV and the daily advertisements in the UK national press, but what is the customer service like? There is no denying that the range and price of their products is very good- they would not be so successful if they weren't up to standard. I have bought numerous items from the Argos superstore in the past and from my own personal experience I have never had any trouble with the products and the customer service. Whilst the concept of shopping that Argos follows should be very straightforward, i.e., (bring out a catalogue of products and then ship them to your door) the problems start to begin when you have so many products and a large demand for them. The logistics that Argos face are massive- so much stock and so much transportation, not a day goes by when I don't see an Argos van or truck on the UK roads. I wonder just how many orders are placed at Argos extra, online and at their superstores each and every day- thousands.

Your order is just one tiny cog in the wheel and it is inevitable that errors and mistakes will happen. Argos have an advantage over most of the other catalogue retailers in that they have a high street presence, you can physically go to their stores and do your shopping there. The advent of the internet has given Argos a huge boost, there used to be no fun in going to the local Argos superstore at xmas. I am sure you have all been there as well! Trying to find a space to look in the catalogue, then trying to find a pen that works! After that you end up waiting ages to place your order, and then have to wait some more until you finally receive it. This of course is if the item you want is in stock. That was then, this is now, and in the past few years argos have really improved both the look at the service of all their stores, and they have created a much better environment to shop in. The long queues have gone, and  you can find out if your item is in stock in seconds.  This shows how much progress Argos has made in the past few years.

Now this may sound a bit critical but it is the truth. This is why the internet has helped not only Argos but all of us lot as well. Shopping online  has grown and grown each and every year. The very first item purchased online by secure encryption was a cd! HALF of the UK's adult population shopped online for xmas 2005 and between April 2000 and December 2005, Uk online shopping has grown 2,600%! In 2005 UK consumers spent £19.2 billion, 32% more than in 2004 and the 2006 forecast predicts that UK shoppers will spend £26 billion, with over 25 million of us shopping online! This proves beyond doubt that more and more of us do not want to trudge around city centres at xmas only to find that the items we want are not in stock, whilst waiting in long queues and getting "shopping rage"!

Argos.( who were owned by GUS plc), have also profited from this sales boom. Their profits in 2004 were £827 million, and in 2005 they had grown to £910 million as a group. Since 2006 the Argos business has changed .Argos superstore plan to open a further 150 stores in the UK by 2009, most of them in retail parks, out of town- so you don't have to pay for parking. Incidentally, 9% of all transactions were by the Argos store card. Most catalogue and retail firms use store cards to give customers the chance to buy now and pay later. If used correctly they are a great way to balance the cost of shopping. However you need to be aware of the interest charges before you take out this option. Like most companies, argos advertise their store card, as it is an opportunity to make more money on a purchase. It is standard practice these days, but you still have the option not to use it.

After looking at many reviews about the Argos superstore online, it appears that there is a wide variety, ranging from excellent to very poor( I will never do my shopping at Argos again, to excellent service, first class) I think this kind of feedback is standard for a large company because you lose the personal touch that you get with a small company who only deal with a small amount of customers. Yet this is the major point in buying anything from anyone- if you are happy with the product and the customer service then you will go back and use them again. "The customer is always right" well not all the time, but most of the time! Think about this though, Argos is by far the most popular retail store in the UK, and this is testament to their service.

This customer service leads to people telling others, either by word of mouth, or on an internet forum, all about their experience in dealing with Argos or any other company, as I have seen, some good, some bad. Think about this though, as Argos superstore continues to expand and open more stores with more products at lower prices, it can only be of benefit to consumers. Their business model is unique in the UK, as no other company has such a high street presence, and a strong online presence. This multi channel operation serves the needs of the customers better than the other retailers do. Their catalogue is a national institution, and the choice is second to none. The combination of thousands of products at low prices is the key to its success, and many others have tried and failed to recreate what Argos have been doing for years.

As with all forms of online shopping there is the consideration of delivery times, and Argos faces the same problems as any other retailer. Many people seem to be unhappy with the time they have to wait for the goods and then taking a day off work to sit in and wait all day for the good to arrive, I can think of nothing worse than doing this, what a waste of a day! Unfortunately, this problem will not go away, as our roads get ever more busy, delays are inevitable, and we pay the price. Even if you go shopping at your local Argos store and order a large item it will still have to be delivered. However, the click and collect service introduced by argos is a great idea. It also saves on delivery charges, which can only be a good thing. Many people are now using it, and rightly so. Other Argos advances in delivery are the nominated day service, and the next day service on selected items. You can even pick a nominated time for delivery, and this helps out with any waiting time, which used to be a problem in the past. Argos listens to its customers, and adjusts its services to give them the most efficient service.

The Argos UK online catalogue and their superstores do offer a huge range of stuff at competitive prices and I reckon that you will be unfortunate if you have any problems when shopping with them, or any other online store. It can be very frustrating when problems do arise, so my advice is to go on the internet forums and voice your anger, it may not solve the problem, but it will make you feel better!! 

Argos are  struggling a little bit at the moment, as are most other retailers due to the credit crunch. However, argos extra has still managed to make profit increases. The one saving grace is the new  argos catalogue 2011, which comes out around Jan 22nd. This should help to increase the profits, but it is more important than ever that it offers low priced goods, or people will just not buy them. A look at the wide range of new products on offer, and the new value ranges shows that Argos have delivered with the new catalogue.

  You will find all the top branded electrical names at Argos including :-

Apple, Duracell, Goodmans, Hitachi, JVC, Kenwood, Maxell, Panasonic, Phillips, Samsung, Sharp, Sony, Technics, Thomson, Venturer, Warfedale and many more at the lowest prices guaranteed.

With over 500 products always on special offer you can choose from batteries, CD players, radios, DVDplayers, DAB digital radios, digital TV and freeview, headphones, home audio, in car entertainment,  MP3 and MP4 players, plasma TV, LCD TV and many more at Argos. And remember, Argos only charge £5.95 for delivery, no matter how many items you order.

Two editions of the catalogue are published every year, one in Jan for the spring/summer edition, and one in July for the autumn/winter edition. There are around 19 million catalogues in UK homes, meaning huge exposure to all the products and items available to potential shoppers. You can order items by visiting one of the 700 Argos stores on the high street, by telephone, or by the main website, which is the most visited retail website in the UK. In addition to all the products in store, there are an extra 10,000 online, and 20,000 in stores. This makes the choice one of the largest of all retailers and is one of the reasons so many people shop with Argos all year round. This multi channel approach has proved very popular, and new initiatives such as click and collect enable shoppers to save on delivery costs. Another new feature is the argos helpers at twitter, so if you have any problems with your order you can get answers immediately.

The different departments stock a very wide and varied amount of household goods, so you can purchase anything from a tub chair to a patio set. In fact Argos are one of the few retailers to successfully compete with the supermarket giants who have now moved into this sector. The book of choice continues to grow and target the budget conscious shoppers. This tactic has served them well over the years, and shows little sign of grinding to a halt either. The fact remains that if you want competitive priced goods from a trusted brand name then Argos are hard to beat.

The past year has seen many retailers struggle to increase profits. Argos has recently released its 2011 figures which show they have opened 6 new stores in the previous year, making a total of 751 current stores nationwide. Total year sales have decreased by around 3%, which has to be down to customers feeling the effects of the economic downturn, meaning they have less disposable income to spend. Blame our government for this, and have no doubt even more of us will have less income in the coming year. One bright note is that online sales have increased by 3%, and the internet now accounts for approximately 36% of total sales.  The very popular click and collect service accounts for most of the online business as customers look to save on delivery costs for smaller items. In addition, the recent google algorithm change to give brand names more first page listings, along with google places and maps appearing at the top of the search results, would naturally account for more people clicking on one of the listings. The future still looks very difficult for major retailers, with oil prices increasing almost on a weekly basis, it adds to transport costs which will eventually result in product prices increasing to offset this extra financial burden. Price increases are obviously not welcome when Argos competes on price with the big supermarket chains.

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