Argos has thousands of shopping products, and they all need to be delivered in some way to us, the customer. The standard price for delivery is £5.95, and this is the price no matter what you order, and no matter how many items you order. So the best way to save money on delivery is to order multiple items when you shop with them.
They will deliver goods to anywhere in the UK, but not to the channel islands, the isle of man, orkney or shetland islands. If you order small items, such as mobile phones or similar small things , then argos will usually get it to you within 48 hours. If you order before 1pm, it will be delivered the next day, or on the day you specify.
With most of us at work during the day, a good way to make sure you don't miss the delivery, or have to take a day off work and wait in all day, is to have the stuff delivered to your place of work. You can also give special instructions for items to be left at a neighbours house, or have your goods delivered to a friends house. If argos do turn up with your goods and you are not there, then they will try to deliver it to a neighbours house and leave a note to tell you this. If they can't leave it with someone, they will leave details of when they will re-deliver your items.
If you want your goods delivered on a saturday, then this will cost a bit more, usually £8.90. Some items are free delivery, and this will be identified when you order. For bigger items, ie, one's which require more then one person to deliver, then the times are different. If you have ordered a fridge or a sofa, then the delivery time will be longer. These items will be marked with home delivery only in the catalogue or on the argos website. There will also be a delivery lead time of either 7, 14 or 28 days. This information will also be printed next to the description in the catalogue or website. These large goods will also need to be signed for when you accept them. The charge is still just £5.95, unless you want it delivered on saturday.
Even some of the larger items can be delivered in just a few days. These items are usually marked with express in the description in the catalogue. The delivery price for these items is £19.99, and this cost is included in the price shown. Express items must be ordered before 6pm to ensure delivery within 2 to 3 working days.
When you order your things you can also specify the time you want, if you are at home and don't want to spend all day waiting in. Argos can offer morning delivery, which is between 7am to 12pm. You can also have 10am-2pm, and 12pm-6pm, this for express delivery times. Normal goods have a morning or afternnon time which is 7am-12pm or 12pm-6pm. Saturday deliveries are between 7am-3pm. One great idea that argos have is the call ahead feature. This means that the delivery driver will call you to let you know thay are on their way to your home. This can be very useful if you give then your mobile number, so they can call you if you are out, and then you can just nip back in time to collect your goods. This way you don't have to sit in all day, just as long as you don't go to far away!
Argos also offer a right to your room service. This means that if you have prdered a large item like a set of wardrobes, the delivery people will deliver it to the room in your house you want it. You need to note down the measurements of hallways and doors though, to make sure the goods will actually fit in the first place.
If you decide to order a few things in one go, then argos will attempt to deliver all the goods in one go. However, it will all depend on stock availability, and the lead time shown. So if you have ordered a mixture of small and large items, then argos will usually deliver them seperately, but you will still only pay the one time delivery price. If you have ordered a few big items in one go, then they will deliver all of these at the same time, and whichever lead time is the longest is what they go off, so you may have to wait a bit longer than usual.
Argos also offer a collect and connect service on large items such as televisions, cookers, fridges and fridge freezers. This service means that they will connect your new appliance up to your energy supply. They can also take away your old appliance at the same time, but be aware that if you want an old fridge freezer taking away, then you must make sure that it has been defrosted first and disconnected for the delivery people. Also, argos will only get rid of old appliances that are of a similar size to what you are having installed. You also need to make sure that you give them the measurements of hallways, stairs and doors to make sure your new goods will fit in place. You need to make sure you have moved the old appliance out of the way as well.
Check to make sure that there is suitable pipework in place to connect to, otherwise argos will not be able to connect for you, but they will still charge you for this service. The prices for connecting you up are pretty steep as well. For example, an electric cooker will cost £82 and a gas one costs £92. Washing machines and fridges are around £30-£40.
One more important thing to remember is that if you live in a flat or any place where there are other occupants, then you need to have a flame failure device added to your appliances. Argos will not install any appliance that does not have this device added, so beware of this.
There are many horror stories on the internet about argos deliveries, with things not being delivered on time, the wrong things delivered, or things just not turning up at all. With so many customers to cater for this is not surprising at all. By being so big, argos has lost that personal touch that small firms have, it is just not possible to do this when you are dealing on such a huge scale, and this is where the problem lies. Argos make mistakes like all companies do on delivery, and it can be very frustrating having to wait all day for something that doesn't arrive, it is a waste of a day, i know because it has happened to me in the past.
The problem is that customer satisfaction is everything these days, there is a huge choice for consumers to shop around, so pleasing the customer is the number one thing. Get it right and they will continue to buy from you, get it wrong and you are making a big mistake, and word will get round quickly believe me.
Thursday 27 November 2008
Tuesday 25 November 2008
Argos catalogue shopping
Shopping with argos can take many forms these days, there are the traditional shops with the physical products available in store behind the counter, you can flick through the argos catalogue at home or in the superstores, you can also shop online at the argos website. The argos website is one of the most popular sties in the UK, with thousands of visitors each day, in fact it is the second most visited website in the UK.
The more traditional way of shopping is to visit the actual store. Once there you are faced with a multitude of catalogues on display, which you have a look at to find any items you wish to buy. Once you have found what you want you just note the special argos product number which is placed directly below every item in the catalogue and then going to the cashier till and giving them the information slip.
The cashier will then print out a receipt for the goods and also check the stock levels, to ensure the goods are available in store. After this the customer moves forward to the issuing desk and waits for the product. When you pay for the goods, a ticket is automatically sent to the order pickers in the store room, and they will then locate your item and bring it to the desk. At busy times it can be a pain having to wait for your stuff to arrive, especially at peak times and over the xmas holidays.
To help speed up this process, most argos stores have a call forward system which tells you your order number and how long it should take to arrive at the counter. More recent initiatives are the in-store quick pay kiosks, which you can use to oreder you goods. This just cuts out the use of the argos cashier till, and is very similar to just paying by way of the till in fact. You simple enter the product codes and pay by credit or debit card, or by the argos store card if you have one.
To ensure any products you are going to buy are in stock you can use the stock checker terminals or use the check and reserve feature. This is a good idea that can save you so much time before you actually go to the cashier deak and find your goods are not in stock. Another way to check availability is to go to the argos catalogue website at www.argos.co.uk you can just check and reserve your items. If you use this feature your stuff will be reserved until the end of the next working day, and so you can then just pop down to the argos store and collect your things, safe in the knowledge that you know the stock is already there and waiting for you to pick up.
You can also reserve goods by phone or by text message. Once you reserve you will be issued with a reservation number, which you take to the cashier, or to the quick pay kiosk if you want to save even more time. Many shoppers tend to use the check and reserve, or the stock checker systems because it saves times, and also the last thing you want to do is wait in line at a busy store and then finally find out that your stuff is not available.
There are 3 kinds of argos stores in the high street which allow you to shop with argos. The first type are the smaller call and collect stores, which only have a limited amount of stock, and are usually just for customers who have previously ordered, so their goods have been specially delivered to the shop for collection.
The second kind are the more usual argos superstores, and these shops have a much bigger stock level, and carry most of the items in the argos catalogue, around 18000 products. The third kind are the argos extra stores, which are about twice as big as the normal argos superstores. These stock the full range of goods, including the argos extra ranges. Because they are so big, you will find these stores in large retail parks, or in out of town places.
If you visit the argos website you can also find what you need very quickly. The whole argos catalogue is now online, so whatever is in the physical catalogue, you will find online as well. There are thousands of pages to click on, with all the information you will need to make a purchase. Another great feature is the stock checker and delivery time. You just enter the product code and your postcode, and argos will tell you the price and the estimated time of delivery to your home, or to your local store.
If you are planning on buying a lot of items then the quick shop feature can save you a lot of time. You just enter all of the product codes for your stuff into the search box, and it will automatically tell you the prices and the stock levels. If you have an argos catalogue handy, then you can easily flick through the pages and then enter them online to do this. You can also use the website and search for the codes and enter them as you shop, the choice is yours.
Checking online is a great way to save time, especially at xmas time. If you don't want to be caught in the christmas shopping frenzy, then argos will deliver directly to your door, which saves a lot of hassle i can tell you. By making it so easy to get your hands on argos goods, argos have lead the way in customer experience, and most importantly, in getting your stuff quickly.
The more traditional way of shopping is to visit the actual store. Once there you are faced with a multitude of catalogues on display, which you have a look at to find any items you wish to buy. Once you have found what you want you just note the special argos product number which is placed directly below every item in the catalogue and then going to the cashier till and giving them the information slip.
The cashier will then print out a receipt for the goods and also check the stock levels, to ensure the goods are available in store. After this the customer moves forward to the issuing desk and waits for the product. When you pay for the goods, a ticket is automatically sent to the order pickers in the store room, and they will then locate your item and bring it to the desk. At busy times it can be a pain having to wait for your stuff to arrive, especially at peak times and over the xmas holidays.
To help speed up this process, most argos stores have a call forward system which tells you your order number and how long it should take to arrive at the counter. More recent initiatives are the in-store quick pay kiosks, which you can use to oreder you goods. This just cuts out the use of the argos cashier till, and is very similar to just paying by way of the till in fact. You simple enter the product codes and pay by credit or debit card, or by the argos store card if you have one.
To ensure any products you are going to buy are in stock you can use the stock checker terminals or use the check and reserve feature. This is a good idea that can save you so much time before you actually go to the cashier deak and find your goods are not in stock. Another way to check availability is to go to the argos catalogue website at www.argos.co.uk you can just check and reserve your items. If you use this feature your stuff will be reserved until the end of the next working day, and so you can then just pop down to the argos store and collect your things, safe in the knowledge that you know the stock is already there and waiting for you to pick up.
You can also reserve goods by phone or by text message. Once you reserve you will be issued with a reservation number, which you take to the cashier, or to the quick pay kiosk if you want to save even more time. Many shoppers tend to use the check and reserve, or the stock checker systems because it saves times, and also the last thing you want to do is wait in line at a busy store and then finally find out that your stuff is not available.
There are 3 kinds of argos stores in the high street which allow you to shop with argos. The first type are the smaller call and collect stores, which only have a limited amount of stock, and are usually just for customers who have previously ordered, so their goods have been specially delivered to the shop for collection.
The second kind are the more usual argos superstores, and these shops have a much bigger stock level, and carry most of the items in the argos catalogue, around 18000 products. The third kind are the argos extra stores, which are about twice as big as the normal argos superstores. These stock the full range of goods, including the argos extra ranges. Because they are so big, you will find these stores in large retail parks, or in out of town places.
If you visit the argos website you can also find what you need very quickly. The whole argos catalogue is now online, so whatever is in the physical catalogue, you will find online as well. There are thousands of pages to click on, with all the information you will need to make a purchase. Another great feature is the stock checker and delivery time. You just enter the product code and your postcode, and argos will tell you the price and the estimated time of delivery to your home, or to your local store.
If you are planning on buying a lot of items then the quick shop feature can save you a lot of time. You just enter all of the product codes for your stuff into the search box, and it will automatically tell you the prices and the stock levels. If you have an argos catalogue handy, then you can easily flick through the pages and then enter them online to do this. You can also use the website and search for the codes and enter them as you shop, the choice is yours.
Checking online is a great way to save time, especially at xmas time. If you don't want to be caught in the christmas shopping frenzy, then argos will deliver directly to your door, which saves a lot of hassle i can tell you. By making it so easy to get your hands on argos goods, argos have lead the way in customer experience, and most importantly, in getting your stuff quickly.
Sunday 23 November 2008
The Argos Catalogue
Since it first began in 1973, the argos catalogue has been a part of many people's lives. The growth of the catalogue has occured each and every year, to the point where, in 2008 there are now around about 18 million copies of the argos catalogue available every year. That equates to about one quarter of the population owning an argos catalogue.
This year will see the 70th edition of the catalogue, and from it's rather humble beginnings in the 70's, it has grown into one of the must have accessories in many homes. Back in it's first conception, there were about 4000 products to choose from and approxiametly 400 pages contained there in. Today there are over 1900 pages with almost 19000 products ranging from furniture to toys, and everything in between.
At each new catalogue launch there are over 1 million people visiting the many stores to grab low priced goods as soon as they are available to the public. This kind of shopping rush just highlights how successful argos have become over the years.
There are two argos catalogues published every year, the spring/ summer edition comes out in january and the autumn/winter edition comes out in july. Each page has a photo of the products and a description, along with a unique code for each product, and of course the price. If you visit the argos stores and out of town superstores, the catalogues all have laminated pages, presumably so they will last longer, especially with all the fingers that constantly flick through the pages on a daily basis.
The cost of producing so many catalogues must be very expensive, but argos is advertising its business by doing this, and is in fact advertising all of its stock in one fell swoop. Everything is in one place, and that is the key to the success. It is so easy to just flick a page and find what you want in seconds. This is why mail order catalogues do well. Another way they make vast profits is in the way you pay. I remember using the littlewoods catalogues many years ago, and paying for trainers and clothes on a weekly basis. Of course you end up paying more this way, and it was one of the earliest forms of hire purchase so to speak.
Argos just tell you the price on the page, and you can pay the full amount there and then, or get yourself a store card, much like a credit card, and pay the cost off in instalments. This is where the catalogue companies make their money, on the interest you pay and also on the warranties they always push you to have.
Each new edition of the argos catalogue features more and more products, usually in the region of 2000 per new launch. There are also many price cuts and discounts to be had, especially with a new edition. This year those price drops will equate to nearly £50 million in savings from the last catalogue, so argos is always striving to offer more cheap deals than its competitors. To keep ahead of the game argos expands its products all the time, and makes them cheaper. They can do this because they have massive buying power, more than most.
Finding what you need in the catalogue is simple and effective, with a clear, concise index at the beginning which splits each main category in easy to use chunks. There is also a comprehensive list at the back to give you more help when you need to find exactly what you are after. It all adds up to a quick and easy shopping experience, which you can do from the comfort of your own home if you have a catalogue of your own.
This is why it is so convenient to have. Argos have crept into so many households with their catalogue shopping, that virtually everyone has heard of them, and so they are in the back of your mind even if you don't realise it. Come the time when you need a certain product, you end up reaching for the pages to get some ideas, even if you don't make the purchase through argos. This is a sort of reference point for many shoppers before they head out to buy stuff, and it is all down to the fact that argos has a large presence in out lives. It has become part of our society, whether we realise it or not.
Argos know what the customers want and they give it to them on a colourful silver platter. It is like a kid on christmas morning sometimes, with such a huge selection of goods right in front of you. The placement of the products in the catalogue serves a certain purpose as well. They are not just thrown in by accident, it is all carefully planned out before to get your mind in the right condition.
One thing that is missing from the catalogue is clothes. Argos does not seem to have targeted the clothing sector, and i do not know why this is. Almost everything else is featured on the pages, but very little indeed on any clothing lines. I suppose that companies like littlewoods, kays and grattan have cornered the market share on clothes lines already, and they tailor the this sector, pardon the pun. I believe that argos will go into this market in the future, and their cataloge will instantly help them to advertise this these products, expanding it even further in the future.
Whilst the concept of having a catalogue has not changed much, argos has moved with the modern times and now offers it in digital format via their website at argos.co.uk. They have it so ridiculously easy to get your hands on their goods, and this helps them to be so successful. You can sit in the comfort of your own home and just browse through their products, pick up the phone and it can be yours in a matter of days if you have it delivered, or just check and reserve and nip down to the nearest superstore and pick them up. You can even do it by text now. Argos has moved with the times and by doing this they have kept one step ahead of the rest, who are all trying to copy them in some shape or form.
By advertising the catalogue on television as well, there is no way you can escape the reach and the power of having argos around in our everyday lives. You also see argos vans and lorries on the road every single day, which is further advertising the catalogue and their goods. This is slowly getting the brand into your mind, a bit like subliminal messages, and it works very well.
All the products on show are clearly marked out in large text and very clear pictures, with the price right there where you can see it. They are almost jumping out of the page to get you to buy. In addition to the low prices advertised, their is a new range called the value range where the prices are crazy, like toasters for just over £3. How can they be so cheap? I bet they are made in china and exported over to the UK, this is the only way they can be so cheap.
Catalogue shopping is a very effective method, and argos is the leader of the pack. The huge growth shows no sign of stopping just yet, but there must come a time when it has to, The recent so called credit crunch may just play into the hands of companies like argos because they offer things that are cheaper than anyone else, so shoppers will naturally move towards them. The catalogue continues to grow as well, with more and more savings every time it comes out, and more people than ever searching through it and shopping with argos.
This year will see the 70th edition of the catalogue, and from it's rather humble beginnings in the 70's, it has grown into one of the must have accessories in many homes. Back in it's first conception, there were about 4000 products to choose from and approxiametly 400 pages contained there in. Today there are over 1900 pages with almost 19000 products ranging from furniture to toys, and everything in between.
At each new catalogue launch there are over 1 million people visiting the many stores to grab low priced goods as soon as they are available to the public. This kind of shopping rush just highlights how successful argos have become over the years.
There are two argos catalogues published every year, the spring/ summer edition comes out in january and the autumn/winter edition comes out in july. Each page has a photo of the products and a description, along with a unique code for each product, and of course the price. If you visit the argos stores and out of town superstores, the catalogues all have laminated pages, presumably so they will last longer, especially with all the fingers that constantly flick through the pages on a daily basis.
The cost of producing so many catalogues must be very expensive, but argos is advertising its business by doing this, and is in fact advertising all of its stock in one fell swoop. Everything is in one place, and that is the key to the success. It is so easy to just flick a page and find what you want in seconds. This is why mail order catalogues do well. Another way they make vast profits is in the way you pay. I remember using the littlewoods catalogues many years ago, and paying for trainers and clothes on a weekly basis. Of course you end up paying more this way, and it was one of the earliest forms of hire purchase so to speak.
Argos just tell you the price on the page, and you can pay the full amount there and then, or get yourself a store card, much like a credit card, and pay the cost off in instalments. This is where the catalogue companies make their money, on the interest you pay and also on the warranties they always push you to have.
Each new edition of the argos catalogue features more and more products, usually in the region of 2000 per new launch. There are also many price cuts and discounts to be had, especially with a new edition. This year those price drops will equate to nearly £50 million in savings from the last catalogue, so argos is always striving to offer more cheap deals than its competitors. To keep ahead of the game argos expands its products all the time, and makes them cheaper. They can do this because they have massive buying power, more than most.
Finding what you need in the catalogue is simple and effective, with a clear, concise index at the beginning which splits each main category in easy to use chunks. There is also a comprehensive list at the back to give you more help when you need to find exactly what you are after. It all adds up to a quick and easy shopping experience, which you can do from the comfort of your own home if you have a catalogue of your own.
This is why it is so convenient to have. Argos have crept into so many households with their catalogue shopping, that virtually everyone has heard of them, and so they are in the back of your mind even if you don't realise it. Come the time when you need a certain product, you end up reaching for the pages to get some ideas, even if you don't make the purchase through argos. This is a sort of reference point for many shoppers before they head out to buy stuff, and it is all down to the fact that argos has a large presence in out lives. It has become part of our society, whether we realise it or not.
Argos know what the customers want and they give it to them on a colourful silver platter. It is like a kid on christmas morning sometimes, with such a huge selection of goods right in front of you. The placement of the products in the catalogue serves a certain purpose as well. They are not just thrown in by accident, it is all carefully planned out before to get your mind in the right condition.
One thing that is missing from the catalogue is clothes. Argos does not seem to have targeted the clothing sector, and i do not know why this is. Almost everything else is featured on the pages, but very little indeed on any clothing lines. I suppose that companies like littlewoods, kays and grattan have cornered the market share on clothes lines already, and they tailor the this sector, pardon the pun. I believe that argos will go into this market in the future, and their cataloge will instantly help them to advertise this these products, expanding it even further in the future.
Whilst the concept of having a catalogue has not changed much, argos has moved with the modern times and now offers it in digital format via their website at argos.co.uk. They have it so ridiculously easy to get your hands on their goods, and this helps them to be so successful. You can sit in the comfort of your own home and just browse through their products, pick up the phone and it can be yours in a matter of days if you have it delivered, or just check and reserve and nip down to the nearest superstore and pick them up. You can even do it by text now. Argos has moved with the times and by doing this they have kept one step ahead of the rest, who are all trying to copy them in some shape or form.
By advertising the catalogue on television as well, there is no way you can escape the reach and the power of having argos around in our everyday lives. You also see argos vans and lorries on the road every single day, which is further advertising the catalogue and their goods. This is slowly getting the brand into your mind, a bit like subliminal messages, and it works very well.
All the products on show are clearly marked out in large text and very clear pictures, with the price right there where you can see it. They are almost jumping out of the page to get you to buy. In addition to the low prices advertised, their is a new range called the value range where the prices are crazy, like toasters for just over £3. How can they be so cheap? I bet they are made in china and exported over to the UK, this is the only way they can be so cheap.
Catalogue shopping is a very effective method, and argos is the leader of the pack. The huge growth shows no sign of stopping just yet, but there must come a time when it has to, The recent so called credit crunch may just play into the hands of companies like argos because they offer things that are cheaper than anyone else, so shoppers will naturally move towards them. The catalogue continues to grow as well, with more and more savings every time it comes out, and more people than ever searching through it and shopping with argos.
Argos Catalogue
Welcome to the argos catalogue shopping blog. This blog provides tips and information on the argos uk online catalogue, including product reviews and buying guides. If you have any questions not covered in the argos blog then please feel free to get in contact at antcassidy@fsmail.net
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