Argos corporate news

Argos lead online UK retail sector with 130m hits

04 October 2006

Argos, the leading multi-channel retailer, today announced that its online offering, www.argos.co.uk, has achieved 130m visits in the past twelve months. The value of the online business – both for direct and reservation sales – is now in excess of £750m per annum, with direct sales increasing 35% year on year.

Online traffic is predicted to substantially increase during the run-up to Christmas to over 7m visits each week. Argos, which offers over 17,000 products, is one of the top Christmas gift destinations for UK consumers both on and offline. Last year in the three months leading up to Christmas Argos sold enough toys for every child in the United Kingdom to have received something on Christmas Day.

The announcement follows the release of the latest Hitwise statistics which reveal that Argos is the top UK shopping site searched for by UK users in September this year, ahead of Amazon, Tesco, eBayUK, Currys, Comet, PC World and John Lewis. Only eBay has a greater number of searches but this is for its worldwide site; eBayUK attracts substantially less searches than Argos. The findings demonstrate that consumer confidence in the Argos brand remains unassailable, despite the increasingly competitive marketplace.

Sara Weller, Managing Director of Argos, commented: “Argos sets the benchmark for the multi-channel retail model; we have been doing it for much longer than our competitors and we know that to be successful requires substantial investment, scale and expertise. We look forward to continuing our tradition of focusing on our customers and delivering what they want, when they want it.”

Argos, which launched in 1973, is the blueprint for the now-popular multi-channel retail concept. Its nationwide network of over 670 stores coupled with its many ways to shop – via catalogue, online and in store – allows customers to mix and match from the full range of selection, order, pickup and delivery. The Argos retail experience is also made more convenient with home delivery, the innovative ‘check and reserve’ and ‘text and take home’ services, and the in-store Quick Pay kiosks, enabling consumers to make the best use of their free time.

According to an HPI tracking study running from January to March 2006, 96% of customers would recommend Argos to a friend.