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10
may
2016
Matthieu JOLLY
3 minutes

To order no more need for paper, go 100% digital!

In its new London store, Argos has replaced its paper catalogue with a digital version. You can now place your order on one of the iPads available in the store or on your smartphone.

The concept

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In inaugurating its point of sale on Old Street, Argos enters the digital era and abandons what made it successful, the paper catalogue. A veritable revolution for English households! The English have been leafing through the retailer’s paper catalogues since 1973. They would note down the items they wanted on a paper form, pay for them then await delivery.

With the development of new technologies, Argos has just converted six of its stores to all-digital. The idea is to do away with paper without altering the customer experience. Aim: make Argos one of the leaders in e-commerce by relying on its retail outlets, veritable click & collect points.

To do during the visit

Watch the TV

Watch the TV

When you enter the store you are struck by the omnipresence of screens. In addition to the thirty or so touchscreen tablets, the walls are also digital. Argos uses them to push information to people in the store: special offers, easy terms, etc. There are also screens at the collection points to track the preparation of your order.

Leafing through an iPad

The catalogues have given way to touchscreen tablets. You can now leaf through an extended catalogue online. You just select the items you want and pay for them on the iPad. Sales staff are no longer confined to their counters and are available to help you should the need arise.

Order wherever you are

Order wherever you are

At peak times you may not find a free iPad. So use your smartphone and the Argos application to place your order. Free WiFi is available, as are terminals for recharging your mobile. All the variants of cross-channel retail are explored. With “check and reserve”, in one click you can check on the site or the mobile app whether the item is in stock in the store. You can then pay online or reserve the item for collection within 24 hours.

Don't waste time

Don't waste time

With the “Fast Track” service, you no longer have to wait indefinitely for your package. When you pay on the e-commerce site, Argos tells you that the item is unavailable at your preferred collection point. If you have paid before 1 p.m., no more worries. With this service your purchase will be waiting for you at the dedicated Fast Track collection point the very same day from 4 p.m.. Argos’s reorganized logistics around the hub is particularly efficient.

Go to the eBay counter

Next to the “Fast Track” counter is the collection counter for purchases you have made on the e-merchant’s site. On eBay you can request home delivery or collection in the sales outlet, at no extra cost. Besides the additional footfall, in passing Argos collects a sales commission.

Photos gallery

Matthieu JOLLY
Facing with the changes in retail, today's innovations help Matthew to think about tomorrow's relationship between the brand and the consumer.
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