Will you miss Argos catalogues?

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  • This thread is part of a series of topics on Shopping, Retail and the changing face of our high streets.

    Other topics in this series are:

    Lidl has overtaken Waitrose as shoppers turn to discounters.

    30 years of IKEA. Yeah....

    Traditional glossy catalogues have been removed from a number of Argos stores as increasing numbers of consumers choose to shop online.

    The retail giant said the move is part of a small scale trial "testing demand" for the take-home glossy catalogues.

    In the BBC article, a mum mentions that the catalogues can keep her kids quiet for hours at a time as they look through the toys section, especially at Christmas. I too was the same as a kid. I loved looking through the catalogues from Argos and others like Great Universal.

    Internet shopping is here to stay. Are catalogues something from the past now and should just stop? Would you miss them if they do all go?

  • They need to be careful because their phone app is a bit crap. It's ok if you already know what you want and are just checking Argos prices/stock but rubbish for browsing. Similar to your family mine all liked browsing through their catalogue for ideas, the Argos app is rubbish for that. I've no problem with moving over to the web but its not as simple as that, they need to make sure the user interface is good.

  • I think catalogues have had their day for most people. My beloved cancelled the 'Next' one because they charge for it and, as with Argos and M & S, we find it's easier and usually quicker to look on line than through a catalogue.

    I agree you can't browse on line as such but if you're looking for something specific it's much easier to find it on line. If you want a new kettle for instance, on the Argos site you can search by price, colour, size, brand etc. quickly.

    The only time we look through other catalogues is when we are getting near Christmas and looking for little gifts etc. and bits and pieces.

  • I think with the costs of producing and printing physical copies that catalogues, just like the Yellow pages, have been overtaken by on-line services and in-store browsing stations.

    So many people use mobile devices for just about every aspect of their lives these days that even the idea of a physical copy of something is alien to them.

  • That reminds me Heero, I was intending to create a thread about the Yellow pages going, but totally forgot. Subconsciously, it turned into this thread!

    As you say, the costs of producing catalogues and transporting them must be high, but I do like them.

    What this story doesn't mention, which maybe the real story, is that since the Sainsburys takover, Argos are being gradually wound down, I believe.

    I've got a thread to create about the retail industry, but already Argos departments are appearing in Sainsburys and if there is a separate Argos shop within a few miles of that Sainsburys, then the Argos shop is axed.

  • I imagine the Argos will go. Depends on he investment that Sainsbury's wish to make, but they might use the Argos site if it's bigger for a new Sainsbury's store.

    Where I live, we don't have any gigantic Sainsbury's stores, so there is not much that Sainsbury's can do with them.

  • Had a look, you've got a large Sainsbury's there and the petrol station is on the same site, but your Argos is much bigger than the traditional high streets shops, certainly the ones in my area are tiny, so not sure what Sainsbury's would do there. As you say, the Argos is a new shop, would seem silly to get of it, but the Sainsbury's plot is huge and they can do a lot with that.

    What happened in my area over the last ten yeats, although its mostly Tescos that do this, is where you have a store the size of your Sainsburys, a second level is put on it. I have 5 gigantic Tescos within a 5-15min drive of me. Four of them now have two levels, as do a few Asda's too.

  • There's a whacking great car park between the store and the petrol station (big car wash there as well). There's also undeveloped land to the side and rear of the store. This retail park that has a good variety of outlets plus the watering hole. (Toby) Virtually never need to go into town these days except to go to Lidl.

    Mind you the new Sainsbury's in Penzance is easily twice the floor area at ground level and has a cafe on a mezanine level. There's a small Argos in the town centre wharfside development but I bet that closes in favour of the large store just out of town. It already has a big audio/visual section, kitchen goods and clothes.

    This whole area including where we live all used to be the real Lyons Farm before it all got built on except for a recreation ground which is where the farmhouse was.

  • There's a whacking great car park between the store and the petrol station (big car wash there as well). There's also undeveloped land to the side and rear of the store.

    I noticed all that on street view after my earlier post.

    I'm a real anorak on this kind of stuff. I'm interested in infrastructure type issues and could see all the back of Sainsbury's where all the deliveries come in. Before I saw that, I did think Sainsbury's might use the Argos site, if they were to shut it, as a delivery hub, but the Sainsbury's plot is huge, there's lots that can be done with it.

    Would I be right in assuming that Sainsbury's was there before many of the other shops, going by the late 80s/early 90s design of the shop?

    The whole plot can be better designed and in the distant future, the petrol station will likely be axed once electric cars are here, providing further space.

    I reckon you're going to lose your Argos, Heero. Probably in the next year or so. Watch out for Argos catalogues in your Sainsbury's soon, assuming they still make the catalogues at that point.

    Mind you the new Sainsbury's in Penzance is easily twice the floor area at ground level and has a cafe on a mezanine level. There's a small Argos in the town centre wharfside development but I bet that closes in favour of the large store just out of town. It already has a big audio/visual section, kitchen goods and clothes.

    I don't know if you're getting this in your area, but London is swamped by these now and that's small metro, supermarkets from the majors.

    If I were to place a bet, that Argos store will be turned into a Sainsbury's metro/local store. It's amazing how popular these type of stores are. Doesn't anyone make their own sandwiches any more, or unable to make themselves a cup of coffee? These kind of shops are very popular in London.

    Sainsbury's is already linking to Argos on their website. Whether they keep the brand in the long term, remains to be see. It could be like "George" in Asda, Sainsbury's use the Argos brand for all their non-food items.

  • Would I be right in assuming that Sainsbury's was there before many of the other shops, going by the late 80s/early 90s design of the shop?

    The site that the Argos is on with the pets shop used to be a main agent garage (PDH Fiat and Alfa Romeo) Used to get my Metro MOT'd there. At the front was a petrol station. Esso if memory serves. Sainsbury's has been there a good few years.

    I reckon you're going to lose your Argos, Heero. Probably in the next year or so. Watch out for Argos catalogues in your Sainsbury's soon, assuming they still make the catalogues at that point.

    Think that's odds on.

  • weve just picked up a new Argos catalogue!

    Did you know, Marshall wards ( now isme or acme or something) are still going, along with Littlewoods!

  • weve just picked up a new Argos catalogue!

    Did you know, Marshall wards ( now isme or acme or something) are still going, along with Littlewoods!

    No, I didn't. I don't even know if Great Universal is still going and their sister catalogue, Kays.

    Keep your Argos catalogue, ming mong, they might not be around for much longer.

  • Argos to scrap iconic printed catalogue after almost 50 years

    Three years ago Argos said they were going to reduce the catalogues they print and now comes the final axe.

    As I said three years ago on this thread, I loved looking through catalogues as a kid, but as with so many other things, they've had their day now.

    Bye Argos catalogues!:|

  • Argos was just one of many home shopping catalogues. There was Freemans, Grattan, Littlewoods et al. Once on-line became available you found out how much extra many of them were charging for the same goods "interest free" by monthly payment that could be bought on the net.

    Last time I went onto our local Argos was to pick up something I had bought on-line from them so I won't be missing the paper version of the catalogue.

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