Online Catalogue Shopping

New Argos Catalogue 2011

2011-07-27T21:30:00.002+01:00

The brand new Argos catalogue comes out at the end of July 2011, and promises to be full of new products and special deals and offers. Argos , like all retailers are facing a tough time at the moment as consumer spending decreases. In order to bring new customers into their stores, or to visit the website, the new catalogue needs to offer something for everyone. Traditionally, Argos targets the budget conscious shopper, and with disposable income becoming ever smaller, the budget products really do need to deliver. The previous catalogue certainly gave great value, and the new one will no doubt look to offer even more.

One new feature brought out by Argos is their own television channel, which you can view online at the main website. This gives people the chance to get a better look and feel for all the many products you can buy. And the choice keeps getting larger, with well over 20,000 both in the catalogue and online.

The catalogue has been around for well over 30 years now, and for any business to keep growing after such a long time, means they are doing something right. If you are looking for affordable products with efficient delivery, then Argos has got this down to a fine art. The latest edition will hit the stores and homes on July 30th, with a lot of publicity in both local and national press, along with tv adverts. It is a national institution, and flicking through the pages is always bound to turn up a bargain or two.

Its super simple to order from the catalogue, and i think almost everyone knows how to do this. So we can look forward to another edition by the end of the month, and hopefully save some money in the process.

Next Directory 2010

2010-04-19T22:12:00.002+01:00

The Next directory 2010 is packed full of special offers and more choice than ever before. The clothing department has always been a firm favourite with many shoppers, and Next does not dissapoint with the new catalogue. The Spring fashions are the main focus, with plenty of new and fresh designs to jeep bith men and women happy. You can sign up for exclusive offers and the latest trend ideas for free, and keep up with those must have items before everyone else does. There are more lines on offer, especially for the women, so there should be something to catch your eye.

The "new in" section is the place to visit for the best looks and ideas for the spring and summer months. All the other departments also have new items, and Next have pushed the limit if style and value once again. Their success has been based on their unique collections and goods, which have such a broad price range that they cater for all tastes and budgets. 2010 will be a big year for Next, and they continue to buck the trend compared to other catalogue stores, showing strong turn over every year. The web site is one of the best around, easy to navigate and easy to find things you really want in a hurry. The flexible payment options and first class delivery service appeal to all shoppers, and they have a very good customer retention rate. Visit the Next web iste and see what the new Next directory 2010 has in store for you.

New Littlewoods Catalogue 2010

2010-02-24T18:30:00.002Z

The new littlewoods 2010 catalogue has recently been launched, and is full of great bargains and new lines of spring clothing from the top fashion designers, as well as thousands of electrical items and home products. You can request a copy from the littlewoods website and get £15 off your first order. The new catalogue is free, and will be delivered directly to your door within a few days. There is a big push an eletricals and homeware products, with upto 40% off selected items. The home sale has upto 50% off so it is well worth a look.

Other special deals are the buy now pay in 2011 if you spend £50 or more. The spring trends guide is a must for the fashion conscious, and there are over 200 new styles to choose from. These are updated on the website regularly, so it pays to check in every month or so. You can always browse through the paper copy of the littlewoods catalogue, as many customers like to do. Every item sold has a rating which is given by customers, so you get a good feel for what others think of the things you might be buying. This is a simple way to create consumer confidence, and has proved to be very popular indeed.

You can even pre-order items of clothing such as the new england away football kit in time for the world cup. As well as designer lines, there is also a good selection of cheaper clothes at very competitive prices. You will be spoilt for choice, as littlewoods has probably the biggest amount of goods in the same place. The website is very easy to use, and you can opt in for e-mails on the new arrivals to keep ahead of the game. Every department has sale items available if you look a little closer, and the customer service and delivery are second to none. Flexible payment options allow you to manage your own account, and rewards are available if you spend more. All told, the new littlewoods catalogue 2010 should be a huge success, and will affirm littlewoods dominance in the home catalogue shopping sector. Check it out right now and enjoy the biggest choice of products at the best prices around.

Argos Furniture

2010-01-07T09:53:00.002Z

Argos have a very large selection of furniture at different prices to suit all budgets and tastes. The sections provide furniture for all rooms in the home such as living rooms, dining rooms, bathrooms, kitchens and bedrooms. The product lines are very extensive, for example there are currently over 450 items of furniture for the bedroom and over 2000 beds to choose from. You can also buy garden furniture such as patio sets and gazebos, as well as stuff for the conservatory. Argos have one of the most comprehensive selections of home furniture on the internet, and sell hundreds if not thousands of these products every day.

Whether you are after a new kitchen table and chairs or a new sofa you will find them all at argos. The furniture is very well laid out and easy to find. You can search on the web site by price or by room in the house. There are also some useful buyers guides to help you determine what item of furniture will be best for your needs. The budget ranges offer affordability and function, whilst the higher priced items offer style and comfort.

Some of the furniture is very low priced, you can pick up a coffee table for under £15 at the moment, which is great value for money. Be sure to check out the sale department for the latest discounts and price drops, there are always new items in these sections. For a better idea of what the furniture looks like you can go and visit your local argos store. The delivery will be to your home as these are larger items, and you can arrange a suitable day for the delivery. There is a big sale on at argos this month, and sofas are heavily discounted at present.

Tables, shelves, cabinets, coffee tables, nests of tables, chairs, recliners and every other kind of furniture is on sale at argos. You will be hard pressed to find these things cheaper anywhere else. In addition you have the backing of the argos brand name, and the very cheap delivery prices. All in all srgos furniture is a good place to try if you want to kit out your home for the lowest prices.

argos clearance

2010-01-05T10:13:00.003Z

The argos clearance department has all the old stock that argos needs to get rid of to make way for newer items. The prices are usually the lowest at the stores and at the online site. You can recognise this section by the yellow and black graphics on the web site. This is for argos customers to use and is a very popular part of the site. You can buy direct from the site or use the postcode search box to find the clearance bargains in your nearest store. The stock is limited and goes very quickly so you need to be on your toes to get the best deals.

The trade clearance site allows people to buy end of line goods and untested customer returns at very low prices. You have to fill in a short application form with your details and then you have access to all the goods that are sold at auction. You simply bid for each pallet sized load. The savings are incredible, although the costs involved with buying are considerable. We are talking thousands of pounds for each pallet, but the savings if you buy them run into thousands as well.

Most customers use the normal argos clearance site which can be found on the main page of the argos website. It changes very frequently so it is a good idea to keep checking often to get the best priced items. Almost every shopping category has these clearance items in them so there is a very good choice to browse through. It gets even busier when the new catalogue is due to be released, as more stock is moved on. As the 2010 catalogue is due out in a few weeks, now is the best time to go looking for those items you perhaps could not afford. Savings are regularly better than half price, so if you want to save some serious money then visit the argos clearance department today.

new argos catalogue 2010

2010-01-04T10:22:00.003Z

The new argos catalogue 2010 comes out near the end of July and promises to have even more products in the line up than ever before. Currently there are over 22,000 items on sale in the catalogue, with over 4000 internet only items as well. Every new edition of the famous catalogue is met with with great enthusiasm from customers, and argos could do with a real boost to their sales. The very tough economic times combined with the increase in VAT will prove to be testing times for all retailers, so it wil be very interesting to see how the new argos 2010 catalogue copes with this.

Expect to see some very cheap bargains on the lower priced goods. Argos has already been bringing out budget ranges to cater for the fact that people do not have as much disposable income as in the past few years. This new catalogue will have to be something special to bring argos to the top of the tree again. Fierce competition from the likes of tesco direct and asda direct will push prices down for sure. Argos has to beat these two giants on price and value to make profit in a very uncertain market.

The argos online website is also getting a make over, with a new rebranding, as are its high street stores. The website will change on jan 23rd, so expect to see something a little different when you visit it. The website is the most popular retail site in the UK, and attracts the most visitors. Online sales are the way forward for argos, and they have begun adding more and more internet only deals to their ranges. Argos have also increased their white product ranges such as washing machines and fridges, as these have seen the most interest from customers.

Argos focuses on providing a wide range of goods for the home that have real value for their customers. From the budget ranges to the more exclusive products, there is something for everyone. Having so many high street stores as well as a very successful online operation means they offer a convenient way of shopping that customers enjoy. The latest argos 2010 catalogue should be full of even more products at a wide range of prices to suit every budget and taste.

Argos Direct

2010-01-03T15:12:00.002Z

Argos direct shopping is the best way to get your hands on a wide range of goods and services from the Argos brand. Going direct can mean visiting your local store or extra store, phoning them up, or going online and either using the check and reserve feature which has become very popular in recent years, or simply having argos deliver direct to your door. This multi channel business plan is what sets argos apart from the rest, and is a big reason for their continued success. Using check and reserve means you can enjoy free delivery on smaller items.

For bigger items it is not available, and things like cookers and washing machines will be delivered directly to your door, with a lead time of up to 4 weeks depending on stock levels and lead times. Shopping at your local srgos store is a lot more simplified than it was a few years ago, and there are far less queues than before due to the better layout and size of most of the stores. Another alternative is to just browse through the argos catalogue at home and choose your goods this way. You can order a catalogue direct from the website or from any store on the high street.

The catalogue is free and comes out twice a year, with the next edition due out at the end on January 2010. There is an end of catalogue sale on right now, with the VAT being held on selected items till the release of the argos catalogue 2010 edition. This is always the best time to get your hands on some great deals and discounts as the old stock needs to be sold off quickly to make way for the new stuff in the next edition. Expect some lower prices on the budget ranges to fend off the competition and to try to keep customers coming back for more.

Whichever route you decide to take to get your argos goods, it is always an easy process for the customer. The delivery options are also very good indeed, and the check and reserve is the best way to avoid charges and waiting at home for delivery. Happy shopping with argos direct this year.

Woolworths Catalogue

2009-11-30T15:59:00.004Z

Woolworths have now moved exclusively onlinein the UK after their business went belly up earlier this year. All the high street shops have been closed or sold off, and they have now re launched their web site. This is similar to what littlewoods have done, except they did not go bust, they simply chose to move to the internet. Woolworths will stand a much better chance of succeeding on their internet than they will on the high street. There are lower overheads and operating costs involved, as well as less people to employ and pay wages. The only consideration they need to make is that they operate in a very very competitive market, so they either have to find a niche that no one else has tapped into, or try to focus on cheap prices or quality items. Based on what woolworths have been known for, it will have to be cheap prices on toys and electrical goods.

The site has the same red and white colour scheme that you instantly associate with the woolworths brand, so they have kept some form of continuity going to the internet. The departments focus on kids toys, electrical items like televisions and dvd players, a range of home essentials like curtains, furniture, kitchen appliances and so on. The choice is very good in all these departments, so it looks like woolworths catalogue have retained their list of suppliers from the past.

The home essentials section is new to woolworths so there are some good bargains contained in the pages and many items to look at. You can buy anything from a mirror to a wall clock. They also have an entertainment section full of dvd's and chart cd's as well as games for the popular consoles and ipod accessories. There is also a good selection of cheap dvd's to be had, so it is worth a look. You will find that woolworths is now a part of the massive shop direct group, so this is yet another catalogue that will benefit from their resources. They have already been advertising on national tv, and this will be the best thing for woolworths going forward. The choice of goods and services will grow very quickly no doubt, and help to bring the brand name back to where it once was.

Argos Superstore

2009-11-24T15:46:00.003Z

The argos superstores are where argos sell most of their products on the high street. The smaller stores are still around, but there are now more and more superstores dominating the retail parks across the country. Argos built these stores to create more space for their huge stock levels, and also for the customers. The small shops get really busy at peak times, and everyone hates to queue for ages in a cramped environment. The profits made from the argos store card are what pays for the cost of building new stores, so you get some idea of just how much money they make on this card.

The expansion has certainly slowed down in the past year as the credit crunch hits home. However, argos uk are one of the few catalogue companies that still operate on the high street as well as on the internet. They introduced the check and reserve system that everyone else has copied. This system works for argos because they have so many high street shop around the country. Customers can order online and pick up at their local store for no extra cost. Local usually means on a retail park because it costs less to build them there than in the city centres. It also gives people free parking when they shop, and is the main reason for their success.

The argos superstores are very modern and much better laid out than the small stores. The new system is more efficient and less time consuming for their customers, and the quick ordering and payment points are welcomed. You still have to wait at the collection barrier for your order to be brought to you from the stock warehouse. However, the larger argos extra stores contain virtually everything that you will find in the catalogue, so you will have more of a chance of your items being in stock and ready for you.

Some of the argos shops have closed down in the last year, due to the tough economic trading times, but also from the competition from the likes of tesco and asda. These are like two giants waiting to knock argos off their perch, and it will be challenging times ahead no doubt. Argos do have vast resources, but even these cannot compete with the supermarket buying power, which is all powerful at the moment. The superstores will continue to be around for the foreseeable future, and if anything it is the small shops that will go first. Whilst the internet continues to grow, and online sales do keep getting better, they are still dwarfed by the high street sales, and argos has a big advantage over most of the others by keeping a strong presence there.

Simply Be Catalogue

2009-11-15T15:49:00.005Z

The Simply Be online catalogue is part of the JD Williams group, and as such it focuses on womens clothing and fashion items. The set up of the web site is very similar to JD Williams, with the same layout, same search functions, and similar stock levels. The shopping categories are also the same, with footwear, accessories, fashion, electricals, home and leisure, sports and swimwear, and gifts. The colours used are softer than other catalogues, and this presents a more welcoming atmosphere. The home page is really the womens department and it features the latest deals, such as 20% selected items, and Simply Be have fashion tips from top designers, and a very good range of collections and bespoke clothes. They also cater for plus size clothes, and they dominate this part of the market.

By knowing their customer base, simply be are not going up against the bigger name businesses who focus on cheap items. This follows the business plan of the JD Williams group who operate in small niches within the retail market, and do very well out of it. You can request a catalogue from the site, and this will be delivered to your home for free. Once you have it you can shop using the product codes using the product search box, or by telephoning your order direct to simply be. In the clothing department you have tops, dresses, trousers, skirts, accessories, and jeans, which has its own separate section because there are so many.

Simply be seem to have many special offers using different discount codes on the site, so it is worth visiting it often, or sign up for email alerts and marketing advances. This service is free also. There are also incentives available if you are a regular shopper at the online catalogue. The more shopping you do the more incentives you can claim. Simply Be have a few fashion ranges and trends to choose from such as Warrior, Rococo, Surrealist and Chanel Chic. This is on top of the many collections they have, so there is a good choice of items to browse through. Footwear is also big in the catalogue, with all sorts of shoes, boots, sandals and high heels. Simply Be cater for wide fittings as well.

The home and leisure department has many things in it such as dining room furniture, bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and hall. You will find many accessories as well including clocks, mirrors, contemporary lamps and rugs. The room feature shows you a collection of their furniture all set out as you would have in your dining or living room, and you can click on each piece of furniture to enlarge it and get a better look. It is a novel interactive feature, and the only other catalogue that has this is the Next directory.

The electrical section has all the appliances, gaming consoles, ipods, mp3 players, televisions, cameras, home entertainment systems and so on. The choice is pretty good, but not as big as the likes of argos and tesco, littlewoods or additions direct. Nevertheless, you still have a broad range of technology and prices, so you will find the right piece of equipment if you search for long enough.

Delivery is £2.99 for most items with a short lead time. Larger goods may take a bit longer to arrive, and may be more. You can track your order online and find out the expected delivery dates. Credit can be taken out, for more flexible payments options, and you can pay off any or all of your balance at any time you want. It is the same as the JD Williams catalogue as they are owned by them.

The Simply Be online catalogue has a large following of mainly female shoppers who enjoy the collections and fashion focused products. Great incentives help to reward loyal customers, and they have a nice little niche in the market and continue to expand and progress.

JD Williams Catalogue

2009-11-13T15:14:00.006Z

JD Williams are the main rivals to the shop direct home shopping group, and they own and operate over 20 catalogues at the present time. They have been trading for over 100 years have been very successful in this time. Today they are a retail shopping giant. The first thing you notice when you visit the JD Wiliams online catalogue is that it looks totally different to the shop direct catalogue web sites. They seem to follow the same layout and format, the only thing that is different is the colours used.

The site fills up all the screen and makes good use of the limited space, with blue and white colours to highlight everything. Right at the top of the page there ia search box which can be used to find things using the product number. Use this if you have the paper copy jd williams catalogue at hand, it makes it much faster to find what you want. You can order the catalogue from the site if you need it, it is free as well, unlike the next directory. As usual there is a great big banner advert in the middle of the page, promoting the latest special offers. This dominates the whole page and is designed for maximum impact. It has to be a good offer to keep interest, but also be better and different to what the other catalogues are doing. This is where the customer makes the choice, especially the first time visitors.

JD Williams is very focused on womens clothing, just like most of the other catalogues seem to be. Most of the best deals are on clothes, and he womens department has many more items than the mens does. This is down to demand, and knowing who your customers are. The fact is that women spend more time and money on shopping than men do, so they need to be put first and catered to the most. The departments are not as numerous, with a mens and womens section, lingerie, electricals, home and leisure and a footwear department. You will still find the range of goods though, its just that each deparment is bigger than usual.

Looking at the clothes in the womens section, there does not seem to be as wider choice as you get with littlewoods direct or additions direct. There are only 133 dresses compared to over 400 at littlewoods. Each piece of clothing has its own picture and description, and all the phots can be enlarged. The price is under the picture, and it is in red if it is a sale item. Further down you have a interactive slide show of the best deals in each department, and this runs across the screen. You can click on it to go directly to that product if you like the look of it. Everthing is organised very well, and you can shop by occasion, by brand, size, colour or price. JD Williams also supply a very big range of plus size clothing, and seem to have cornered this particular niche. You will also find some collections from well known fashion designers which are always very popular.

The lingerie section is one of the biggest in any catalogue, and there is a bra fitting video to make sure you get the right fit. Lots of good deals in here as well. The footwear section is all about the ladies as well. The men just have a small section that comes under menswear. There is no denying this catalogue is for women first of all. The shoes section has a multiude of boots, shoes, trainers, sandals, flat shoes and slippers to choose from, at very decent prices. Shop by brand if you want, with makes such as clarks, Diva Feet, Free Step, Kickers and lots of others.

There is a wealth of kids toys at JD Williams as well, from all the favourite toy makers. You will find many puzzles and board games, as well as character toys such as go diego go games and transformers, and disney character soft toys and teddy bears. Electronic games can also be bought for teenagers, so there is bound to be something to keep the kids happy and entertained for hours on end.

The electricals has televisions, appliances, computers, home entertainment systems, mobile phones and many other small applainces and electrical items like hairdryers and food mixers. All these are under big umbrella, but it is still very easy to find them all. In this section you will see the best selling items listed on the screen, and a picture and description to go with it and the price. This is a good idea, and it allows you to quickly find out the prices of the most wanted goods. You could easily compare these prices with the other catalogues to get cheapest price. I would imagine that a lot of price watching goes on between the catalogue companies to keep things about the same.

JD Williams will charge you £2.50 for your order, with bigger goods costing a bit more. The lead times are within 5 working days for standard products, with appliances and large items taking longer. The details will be sorted out when you place your order. You can choose next day delivery and this costs £3.99 on top of the standard charge. They do not have the collection point system that the shop direct catalogues can offer.

Payment options are numerous, and you can sign up for a JD Williams account that will get you access to interest free credit, or rolling credit each month. These flexible options are much the same as you will find at the littlewoods catalogue. Insurance can also be taken out on your payments. Incentive plans are also in place, and these vary from account to account. The idea is that the more you shop and pay regularly the more incentives you will get over time. Its a good way to reward loyal customers.

The JD Williams catalogue is one of the most popular on the internet. The main focus is for women shoppers, and it delivers a wide range of selected brands at low prices. A very respected name, and doing very well at the moment.

Marshall Ward Catalogue

2009-11-12T17:30:00.004Z

The Marshall Ward shopping catalogue is another part of the shop direct group. They have taken over many of the more famous brand catalogues in the last 5 years, and Marshall Ward are no exception. In reality this has probably saved them from going under because the competition in this field is intense. It mostly comes down to nulk buying power, and if you source your goods cheaper than the rest, then you have a distinct advantage. Most of the online catalogues tend to stock the same items, so the only difference they can make to affect sales is to offer them cheaper, or give the customers a wider variety that the others don't offer.

This the problem that the shop direct group must have because they own so many catalogues that sre all basically the same underneath. They all have very similar delivery options and credit agreements, just under a different name. It stands to reason why they don't just bring them all under one umbrella and have one huge catalogue that sells everything you could ever want. There is one very good reason why they don't, the catalogue would just be too big to use for customers. It would not be practical to search through so much stuff, even online, but can you imagine how big the paper copy catalogue would need to be? You wouldn't be able to lift it, never mind spend hours searching through it to find things. So that is why we have so many catalogues, and that is just fine for all shoppers to handle.

Back to the Marshall Ward catalogue, and it has one oustanding feature that none of the other shop direct catalogues have, which is a digital version of their catalogue. It looks just like a normal catalogue and you urn the pages by placing your mouse on the bottom right corner, just like you would turn a paper page. This is a very smart idea, and adds some excellent interaction which is bound to impress customers and casual visitors to the site. On each page you will see the items, and on the far right you can click for each department, and go to it just like turning the pages of a book. You can even click on any item on the page to get a better look at it in more detail.

Elsewhere you have the usual womens and mens sections, electronics, appliances, toys and games, furniture, home ware, jewellery and gifts. Not surprisngly the choice is very big, with many ranges to choose from, and some top name clothing designers and electronics makers. Monthly deals and interest free credit adverts are everywhere, and these are smack in the middle of the homepage to grab attention. 3 for 2 offers can also be found on selected items. It is just like looking at the Kays catalogue in reality, you have the same clothing lines, the same amount of goods in each deparment, the same delivery and payment options, even the same pictures and promotions. It is a big disappointment really because you basically have the same catalogue under a different name. You could of course turn this around and say that the Kays catalogue is the same as the Marshall Ward catalogue.

I believe that shop direct could do more to make them different, and they really should do something about it. I know it would take time to establish new ranges and suppliers, but they have been the same for a while now. Perhaps a merger should take place, and just drop one of the names in favour of the other. I doubt this would happen because there are many loyal shoppers who have dealt with these catalogues for many years, and it is the brand name that makes the difference.

You don't get the same reward benefits like you do with Kays, but you do get the collection+ service and free next day delivery, so there are some differences. As for the different departments, well there is a good choice of electronics, such as mobile phones, laptops and televisions. Cheap cell phone batteries are even stocked if you look hard enough. Some good bundle deals are also on offer like free games with certain consoles, or free dvd players with selected tv's. You can even pre order the latest video games so you get them as fast as possible.

he speical offers section doea have more products in it the most other catalogues, with over 30% off fashion brands and electrical items. You have the introductory offer of £10 off your first order if you spend more than £25, and you can order a paper copy catalogue from the web site if you like flicking through real pages and not electronic one's. Marshall Ward do have a few celebrity endorsements from Sienna Miller and Claudia Schiffer, who have their own small ranges. This does add a bit of class to the catalogue, and keeps customers happy.

All told the Marshall Ward Catalogue is a good one. A well respected brand name built on many years of providing good service and wide ranging items to suit all tastes and wallet sizes. In all honesty it does need changing to be unique and stand out from the other shop direct catalogues. It seems to have lost some of its identity, and that is a shame really. It still does very well, and will contiune to do so with its big backers and their money investments.

Kays Catalogue

2009-11-11T12:53:00.006Z

The Kays catalogue is one of the most well known and respected catalogues out there. They have been trading for many years, and were one of the first catalogue companies on the scene. For many years they competed with littlewoods onlne and Great Universal, as one of the few mail order catalogues. The paper copy was always packed with goods, and it has remained the same to this day. They have bought out a few times as they have struggled to compete with the big players, and they are now owned by the shop direct home shopping group who are slowly taking over the catalogue shopping industry in the UK. No doubt they bought Kays because they were already a well established company who had a large customer base.

The Kays catalogue can be ordered from the web site and this is is free. Most people tend to use their catalogue and go online to order or simply telephone their order directly to one of the customer hot lines which are available all hours of the day and night. If you have a catalogue at hand then you can order on the site with the product number, it is just a case of entering the information in the seach box at the top of the screen. You will then be taken straight to your chosen product, which is a much faster way of doing your shopping. Having said that, the online catalogue is very easy to use, and many customers enjoy browsing through all the departments and choosing things this way.

The layout is much the same as the other shop direct catalogue sites, and it is a proven set up that is user friendly and easy to navigate through. At the top of the home page are all the departments, which are mens and womens, kids and nursery, sports and leisure, home, furniture, electronics, appliances, gifts and jewellery, toys, and finally the offers department where all the latest deals can be found. This catalogue covers most products you will ever need, and the list is pretty comprehensive, with very large ranges of goods in each section for you to look at.

Because any online business needs to grab your attention when you visit their site, you will always fing huge adverts on the main page highlighting the best deals or special promotions that they currently have. Kays is no different and the big promotion at the moment is a 3 for 2 offer on selected items. There is also an introductory bonus of buy now pay in a years time with interest free credit available. Kays also used to have a money off your first order promotion that is still in place, and thisis what most catalogues offer when you sign up with them or order a catalogue from the site.

The womens department has a very large choice of clothing from designer labels to cheaper items, and there are lots of them as well. The more well known brands are Miss Sixty, Firetrap, Diesel and Bench. You can shop by size, price, brand, clothing type such as dresses, tops, jeans, lingerie, and accessories such as hats and ladies leather gloves and so on. There are also a few collections at Kays which are always very popular and very extensive. In fact Kays are not far behind Additions Direct and Littlewoods for choice, but the Kays catalogue was always very big and full of decent stuff. In the womens section there are some very useful buying and style guides, and trend reports as well as a what's hot feature so you can stay in touch with the latest must have clothes and fashions.

The mens section is equally well stocked and there are hundreds of jackets, shoes, jeans, jumpers, suits, trousers and accessories. Another nice touch is the shop by customer rating feature, so you can see what others think of the products they have bought. This is much like what additions direct offer, and is a good way to bring a bit of unbiased opinion to the way we shop. The best products have a 5 star rating and the worst get only a single star. Kays also tell you how many products have a certain number of stars, so you can quickly see all the top rated things. The monthly deals are featured on a small slideshow that runs in the middle of the screen and you just click on that to get instant access to them.

The furniture department has a massive choice in it, and you can shop by room, like dining room, living room, bedroom, kitchen and hall, or shop by product. There are sofas, settees, tables, chairs, coffe tables, side boards, shelves, cupboards, wardrobes, beds, you name it. An example of the choice is that there are over 440 sofas on offer, and even the specialist sofa companies don't have this much in stock. There are interactive features that bring a bit of thought to the furniture as well, and if you shop by room you can see how the pieces of funiture look like when they are actually in the room. Below this is each individual item in it's own little box and you click on it to get the details and the prices. The prices are very reasonable as well, with easy assembly if you want to make them up yourself.

The home department has things like carpets, rugs, curtains, blinds, bedding, lighting and garden accessories and again, the choice is pretty spectacular. ou can filter the search results by price range and customer rating, or shop by product or room. It is very easy to use the Kays online catalogue, which is why they sell so many things year after year.

The electronics section has televisions, computers, video games and consoles, dvd players and mobile phones. This is where some of the biggest discounts are at the moment, with half price offers on many things. Over 800 computers are in stock, from the latest laptops to conventional systems. Well known brands in the electronics market are here such as Panasonic, Samsung and Sony. Thee are in excess of 220 televisions to choose from, with a wide variety of prices and specifications from the latest plasma tv's to small tv's for the kitchen. Bundle deals can be searched for, and you can get a free stand or dvd player with selected tv's. Audio equipment also features heavily and you can buy cheap speakers and microphones as the choice is very good. A very comprehensive range of stock.

The appliances section also has a load of good stuff and a big choice. Here you will find things like fridges and freezers from Hotpoint, Indesit and Swan. You can shop by colour if you want, or by price or rating. Some of the biggest discounts are here, like in the electronics department, so it is worth searching around a bit.

Delivery is free for small items, or next day delivery is £6.95 and is the same for nominated or saturday delivery. You can also use the collect+ service where you can pick up smaller goods from your local store. Kays does not have any high street stores, but they do run a partnership deal with other local stores, and you just use these stores. It helps to avoid waiting in for your items, and is becoming the best way to shop online and recieve goods when you want them. Most people pick them up after work or in their lunch breaks. Another option is to have your goods delivered to your place of work, and this is free, you just need to change the delivery address when you order.

For larger items like cookers and fridges delivery is still free, and usually within 10 days. When you place your order you will be notified of the date and expected time of delivery. You can choose the install and removal service for quite a lot more money. Payment options are pretty diverse too. You can get interest free credit if you pay of the amount owed in time, and the introductory offers give you the chance to buy now pay a year later. You also get rewards if you are a loyal customer in the form of cash back. You need to buy something each season and then in the next year you will receive your reward.

The Kays catalogue is a great success story now, with increased sales and profits. They have good backing from the shop direct group and are moving in the right direction after a few problems not too long ago. A well respected and trusted brand name has helped them out a lot in recent years, and kays is a good catalogue with a very big selection.

Next Directory Catalogue

2009-11-09T15:55:00.005Z

The Next directory is certainly one of the most sought after catalogues in the UK. The paper copy has been the foundation of all the recent success that Next have acquired in the last decade. What makes it different from the rest is that you actually have to pay for it, most other catalogue companies offer theirs for free. You can see why you have to pay for it though, as it is a much more professional looking directory than the others. The products have much better pictures, more detailed and well thought out. The actual pages are made from more expensive paper and it is hardbacked as well.

This attention to detail is what separates Next from its competitors. Their goods are aimed at a different market, the slightly more wealthy shoppers to be exact. This places Next in a different market to the likes of argos, tesco and asda, who tend to focus on providing the lowest priced items, and selling more of them. The products old by next are higher quality and more difficult to source, plus most of the items are made especiialy for the Next brand name. The clothing lines are the best example of this in action, and this how they have built their reputation. The high steer stores are mainly focused on selling fashion clothes and accessories, and the online store sells everything contained in the directory such as furniture, appliances, electical goods and much more.

The web site is very good indeed, and has a quality feel about it. Next have used good brand awareness on the site, with a black and white layout that is the same as the colours used on their high street stores. You instantly know you have arrived at the right place when you get to the Next catalogue. The pictures are more detailed and you can expand every picture for a closer look if needed. There are small picture tabs that run on the bottom of the main pictures and you simply click on them to make them bigger. This is a very good invention that adds to the customer experience.

Next also have their own interactive features on the site including Next TV, where you can see behing the scenes footage of fashion shoots from all over the world, and get up to date with the latest fashion trends. The video loads immediately so there is no waiting around which is always good. Next has a worldwide operation these days, and have stores all over the world. You can even see photos of these stores in far away places, and it just shows how big they have become. All the stores are clean and fresh, with an upmarket feel about them, which is in keeping with the quality standards that Next adhere to. hey seem like a very professional organisation.

As for the catalogue departments, well you have huge womens and mens clothing sections, which is hardly surprising as this is the bread and butter for Next, the sector that generates the most profits every year. They have been able to grow and expand very quickly due to their unique ranges that other retailers look on with envy and admiration. We have all seen the shopping frenzy when the big Next sale opens in the new year sales, with people queuing overnight to get their hands on the discounted goods. No other sale generates as much interest, so it is a testament to their brand name and reputation.

The womens department has hundreds of fashion items, from tops, dresses, coats, leggings, jeans, knitwear, sports wear, lingerie, accessories and much much more. Next also now have designer labels in stock from the likes of Miss Sixty, Hilfiger, Polo Jeans and Full Circle, as well as the famous Next branded clothes lines that are very popular indeed. The focus is on quality and finish so the rices are not cheap at all, but they are aimed at the middle class buyers who have more money to spend. You can shop by type of clothing, by collection, by size or by price, and even by brand. This makes it a lot simpler to find exactly what you want.

If you have the Next directory catalogue at hand you can use the quickshop search function and just type in the product code and go straight to it. Next have fashion cover magazines as well with their latest must have clothes, and you can view these covers as they run in a little search photo gallery on the page. Another unique feature that makes things easier to find. The womens section also has many gift items and jewellery such as birthday ideas and gold and silver rings and bracelets. The radiant rings are very popular at the moment and the choice is very good as well.

The mens department is the same, with hundreds of designer goods and next own label products on offer. The best monthly deals can be found and the latest must have clothes are heavily featured. Be sure to look in the offers section, where the items are less than half price. There are not that many things in here, but what is in is very good value for money. Other mens accessories like sunglasses and bags are in this section, which is very extensive indeed.

Next now sell a wide range of home products such as furniture, tables, chairs, sofas and the like. The items are expensive, but of very good quality, and the pictures are well laid out and very clear. Each piece of furniture has a good description and the price is well displayed. There are a few Next furniture collections as well, that feature the trendy designs that are hot at the moment. You can shop by price, colour, popularity, size or by type of furniture. There are even ratings for each product so you can get a good ida of what other shoppers think of the things they have bought. This adds to the trust factor that means so much when selling anything, and being totally honest with customers is a good way of getting some respect.

Electrical items can also be bought at Next, including kitchen appliances, mobile phones, gaming consoles and games, telephones, audio equipment, televisions, dvd players, mp3 players, radios, cameras, and even the latest dvd and cd releases. The selection of televisions is not as big as some of the other catalogue companies, but this will grow in time, and the products are all carefully selected so you get a range of prices and technologies that should suit all tastes and budgets.

When you shop online with Next you will need to register with them. This is done by filling out the requested information when you place an order. You will be given a customer number that will be sent with your order. You can simply pay by credit or debit card online to receive your goods. Alternatively you can apply for a full account which enables you to shop on credit. You usually have to request a next directory catalogue when you do this, and this cost a little over £3. Then you will have a credit check and if you pass this you will then have your very own Next account set up. When buy things they will be placed on your balance, and you will be billed the following month. Pay off the balance and it is interest free, if you don't pay the full amount then the interest charges kick in, at around 2% of the balance owed each month.

Delivery charges are £3.95 no matter how big your order, and you can request next day delivery which costs the same as normal delivery. You can also choose the time of delivery if you so wish. For free delivery you can opt to pick your goods up at your local next store on the high street. This is the new way of online ccatalogue shopping, and makes it far more convenient for customers. Free returns are also available, and you can return anything by post or pop in to your local store and they will do it for you.

Next is growing very quickly, and profits and sales have risen sharply recently. They have a sound brand name and have branched out into selling furniture and electrical goods, based on this strong reputation for providing quality goods and services. The fact that they have numerous high street stores means they can get their products to a large customer base, and the services they offer are as good as any. The online next directory is easy to use, and very professionally put together. You get a feel for the quality of Nxt when you visit the site, and they have done a good branding job. Customer ratings help to make things clearer and far less biased, and they are leading the way with this. A very good place to shop, and one of the best catalogue retailers currently operating in my view.

Additions Direct Catalogue

2009-11-05T12:34:00.004Z

Additions direct is the popular online catalogue store that has seen a recent growth in sales and profits. Additions direct has changed hands a number of times over the years, it did used to be owned by argos a few years ago, and is now owned by the shop direct home shopping group who seem to be collecting catalogue companies for fun just recently. This group is a very powerful player in the home retail sector, and they own many well known brands such as littlewoods, choice, very catalogue and numerous other favourite stores.

Additions direct offers a very large range of goods and services, and you will always find big discounts on many items they sell. It is a good idea to check up on the site every week for the best deals, or sign up for the e-mail alerts to keep you informed. With so much competition around in this market, the prices have got to be low or else you will be left behind. This is where additions struggled before, but the buying power of the shop direct group means they will always be among the cheapest prices. Strong competition from tesco and asda should make prices fall even lower as they are all going after the same niche market, the cheaper goods sector of home shopping.

You can order a paper copy of the catalogue at the site, and when you do this you get £10 of your first order. This is not as much as other companies offer but it is still a good deal just for signing up for a copy, and there is no obligation to buy anything anyway so you have nothing to lose really. The online store has the typical set up, with large offers displayed right on the main page, with all the different departments situated at the top of the screen for easy access. Everything is only a few clicks away, so it speeds up your shopping experience. If you have a catalogue handy you can enter the product code into a search box and you will be taken directly to that product.

If you don't have a catalogue then just browse through the online catalogue, it is very easy and simple to use and is set up like all the other shop direct stores. The difference between them all is that each store has its own brands and special offers, although it has to be said that they are becoming the same with what they all offer, and the services available too. Having said that, the ranges at additions direct are very strong, and they have a reputation for selling good quality things at very reasonable prices.

One of the strong points at additions is the electrical items, they have been good at selling them cheaper than the rest, and have a generous amount of products in their current line up. There are over 250 televisions, which is a lot more than most other catalogues, and over 800 computers. That is a huge amount of stock to carry, and it ensures that once you start browsing you will certainly find something you like. The key here is choice, additions are good at keeping you at their site for longer, and this means you will most probably end up buying something. With the prices so cheap you will not find cheaper elsewhere, there is a lot of bulk buying going on to have so many computers and televisions on offer. With such high stock levels there will be big savings on more items, the stock needs to be cleared on a weekly basis. This is why you should sign up for the e-mail updates, you can even selct your favourite departments so you only get updated on the things you are most interested in buying.

The appliances department is equally as impressive, with over 200 cookers, 180 fridges and 200 plus vacuum cleaners. Within each section you will have easy access to the latest deals, some of which are less than half price. You can shop by brand name like Hotpoint, Indesit, Hoover and Dyson, if you are drawn to one favourite make. Must have items are listed, and the top 10 list for each dpeartment is included in the serach bar. These lists show you the biggest sellers, and the items with the largest discounts. The amount you save is shown in red numbers, and you get the original list price to compare with. The item must have been on sale for the original price in the past, so you really are saving that amount. In the past the catalogue companies used to pluck a very high recommended retail price out of thin air to make you think you were saving a lot of cash, when really you were not. That soon got stopped, so now you do save that amount, which is beter all round for customers and shoppers who visit these sites.

If you go to the womens department you will again find a much bigger choice than other catalogues. There are over 500 dresses to choose from, wih top designers and celebrity collections. Brands like Bench, Diesel, Hilfiger, and celebrity ranges from Caprice, Fearne Cotton and Holly Willoughby can be bought. What additions direct also have is the ability to shop by customer rating. Every item has a rating that has been given by previous customers. The top rating is 5 stars, so you can click on the 5 star rating button and see all the best rated items in the womens clothing department. This is a unique way of shopping, and of selling more of the best items, plus it is a lot more honest because it is the customers who decide which is best. You will soon see other catalogues moving in this direction, but you do need a large amount of prodcuts to make it successful. It gains trust as well, because no doubt additions direct would like to give every item a 5 star rating, but they are up front about it, and there are quite a few things with only 1 star ratings.

The men's section has all the top name brands in clothing and footwear such as Nike, Diesel, Firetrap, Ted Baker, Lacoste etc. There are over 500 shoes in this section, much bigger than the rest. Additions has quickly become one the biggest catalogues on the internet, and a lot of money has been poured into them. You have a what's hot this week button, or shop by price, size or brand. There are more top brands available at additions than any other catalogue, and this is the market they are going after. You will not find many own label ranges, this is not what they are about, it is strictly fashion, and lots of it. For example, if you shop by a certain brand name, you can dig deeper by choosing gender, activity, and type of clothing such as tops, sweater, trainers and so on. You can go further and shop by rating as well. Within 3 or 4 clicks you will have found exactly what you are looking for. This is customer service for you.

There is a load of furniture as well, from sofas, cabinets, tables, chairs, bedroom furniture, kitchen and dining room furniture and bathroom set ups. The trends section has the latest contemporary designs from the entire furniture ranges, so you can see what is likely to become hot in the near future. Additions also have over 50 modern collections of furniture items, which are unique to them, and they are very tasteful ans stylish indeed. The prices are high but the quality is good.

Other departments are the kids toys, gifts and jewellery, and the special offers section. Every department has special offers on all the time, and this allows you to browse the best of them in quick time. There are also monthly deals on top of this. An example os the scale of this is that there are currently over 670 reduced items of furniture, and this is just from one department. This goes back to the stock turnover and the need to get rid of as many things as possible to make way for new things. The logistics behind this must be mind bending at times, but additions manage to do it in a clear and user friendly way that keeps the customers coming back time after time.

You can pay for all these goods right away with your credit or debit card, or you can open an account with additions direct and get flexible payment plans. At present there is the pay 3 monthly installment plan which allows you to buy things now and pay for them over 3 months. It is interest free when you keep to the payment schedule. You can always just buy things and pay off the balnce each month, and this is also interest free. If you only pay the minimum amount due each month then welcome to interest payments of over 30%. This is about standard for credit agreements these days, so it is down to you to be careful with it.

Delivery charges are about £3.95 for next day delivery, and more for nominated day delivery. Bigger items link cookers and fridges will be a bit more, and you will need to sort out the delivery when you order. You can have additions direct take your old appliance away with them, and they do offer a connection and fitting service. This costs quite a bit more, for example, delivery, connection and removal of cookers will cost an extra £80 on selected brands. You also need to have the appliance disconnected beforehand or they will not connect the new one up, so make sure you read the small print when you order these services.

Additions direct online catalogue is one of the biggest in the UK. The ranges are huge, and focus on top name brands at decent prices. More and more shoppers are choosing to shop with additions because there are so many cut price items available all the time. One of the best around for sure, with good customer service and satisfaction.

M and S Shopping

2009-11-02T09:50:00.010Z

Marks and Spencer are the world famous english institution for quality and value. They are probably the most respected name on the high street, and are loved by millions of shoppers. They have seen some tough times recently, but seem to be turning the corner, and moving the business forward in line with their competitors. Marks and spencer now have an online store to rival any other, and although they have been a little slow to react to the potential of online shopping, they have embraced it to their benefit. The site is very easy to get used to, and all their famous items can be bought over the internet. Marks's own label clothing lines have been very popular for many years, and the focus is on providing good quality rather than cheaper clothes. Having said that, the prices are very reasonable indeed, and the customer service in the high street stores is second to none. Marks and spencer take pride in their operation and it shows with such a loyal following of dedicated customers.

The online catalogue store is not so much like a catalogue but more of a department store. You have the mens and womens sections, a technology department with all the televisions and audio goodies. Food and wine is also available, as well as homeware and furniture. A new gifts department will help you find just the right gifts, and you can even order flowers. One new thing about the site is that it is packed with interactive features, and marks and spencer have taken the lead of the likes of Next and the other big name catalogue retailers by giving a better customer experience. Everyone likes to feel part of the buying process, and you will find videos on the latest fashions, a how to shop guide, as well as m&s tv, so you can keep up to date with the company.

The womens fashion lines are celebrating 125 years this year, and there are a whole host of discounts and special deals around at the moment. You can shop by brand from the likes of Per Una, Autograph and Portfolio, along with the m and s own brand lines. There are dresses, coats, jackets, jeans, lingerie, skirts, shoes, tops, blouses, swimwear and accessories in the womens department. M&S fashion TV can be activated with one click of a button and on here you will get some novel ideas for party wear and holiday wear. There is also a new arrivals section for the latest stock. M and S also sell designer clthes hangers for all your stuff, and the popular choice at the moment are the Joe Mangano Hangers. All the clothes are presented very well, with some good, clean photos, althoug they are one dimensional at present.

The mens section has brnaded names like Timothy Everest for suits and formal wear, Blue Harbour and North Coast are the other brands, as well as the traditional m and s lines, which are always great quality items. There is a new seasons collection feature, and you can shop by size and type of clothing such as trousers, shirts and shoes. Marks and spencer also have a made to measure shirt service where you choose from a range of cuffs, collars, buttons, fabrics and pockets. You can even add a personalised monogram. These ahirts will then be made specially for you, and the prices start at £24.95, which is not bad at all.

The home and furniture department has a very selection of goods, with a huge range of colours and styles. The settees and sofas are very good, and you can choose from single sofas, double sofas, corner sofas, armchairs, recliners, foot stools, bed sofas, and most of these are available in many different colour schemes and patterns. You will also find book cases, warbrobes, tables, chairs, coffee tables, dispay units, console units and side tables and nests. Bedroom and dining room furniture is sold too, and you can shop by size, design, colour or by collection, and there are some very stylish collections at m and s. The prices are not cheap, but there are lots of discounted pieces of furniture that are more reasonable. One thing you can count on is the quality though, m&s do not sell inferior goods to their customers, and this is why they are so well respected.

Also in the home and funiture department are dinner ware, like pots and pans and dinner sets, bedding, soft furniture, linen sets, lamp shdes and light fittings, and much more. Accessories such as clocks, mirrors, candle holders and other little things that can liven up any room are in the home section.

The technology department has televisions, dvd players, computers, mp3 players, games consoles, sat navs, games and beauty electronics and gadgets. If you are not sure about the latest technology then fear not beacuse marks and spencer have a buying guide and some videos to help showcase these gadgets. There are some great dundle deals on at the moment, where you can get a free dvd blue ray player with selected plasma and lcd televisions, which are on sale with big discounts already. The top name nrands in home entertainment including Sony, Panasonic, Samsung and Philips are in stock as well as m and s own brand electricals which are a bit cheaper. The choice is pretty large and all the televisions are top rated products, which are more expensive than most other catalogue shopping stores. Again, this comes back to the quality that marks's sell, they operate in a different niche to the likes of argos, tesco and asda. There is free 5 year guarantee on all large tv's and you don't get that at the other stores.

The mobile phones are all on pay as you go, and the selection is not that big, but the phones that are in stock are a good mix of cheaper to more expensive so there is something for most tastes and budgets. Home phones can also be bought, along with all the accessories such as holders. Digital photgraphy is big at m&s, and you have a solid choice at the online store. There are over 40 cameras from the best known brands like Sony, Samsung, Canon and Olympus, and everything in the technology section comes with a minimum of a 2 year guarantee. Look out for codes and special delivery rates, which on some items is free, with free installation as well.

The kids department has clothes where you can shop by size, product or age group. Also for the kids are competitons and costumes, as well as big choice of toys and games to keep them entertained. You can also buy books, dvd's and cd's as well.

The gifts section has some valuable ideas for loved ones or friends, and you can shop for men, women and the kids. Things like gadgets, wine, flowers, and clothes are in here. M&S sell food hampers, hand picked wine hampers, chocolates and other foods, all in unique gift wrapping of your choice. Most of these items can be oredered online and picked up at your local store. A unique feature is the wine plans, and this allows you to receive 12 bottles of wine every 3 months. You can choose between reds, whites and other wines. The first order has an low inrtoductory price of just £40, and after this it will cost around £60, but it still works out at £5 a bottle. The wines are delivered free to your door, and once your account is set up it runs on automatic. You can cancel at any time, or miss a period if you wish. No other online catalogue offers this kind of service, and if you are into your wines, then it is a great way to experience a wide range of wines at an affordable price.

Marks and spencer delivery options are fairly numerous. Standard delivery will cost you £3.50 when it is delivered to your home, and this price relates to small items such as clothes, homeware, small technology goods. You can pay a bit more for nominated day delivery, and m and s will also deliver to your owrkplace or neighbours for the same price. The lead time for standard is 3 working days if your item is in stock, if not it can take up to 7 working days. Now here is where it gets interesting, because you get free delivery on all furniture and large electrical items like televisions and appliances. For furniture the lead time is 2-12 weeks depending on what you have ordered and if it is in stock at the time. Appliances take 3 to 7 working days, and you can choose express delivery on these items which will cost you just £2.99 and it will arrive within 2 working days. This is very good value for money, and is a lot cheaper than most other catalogue companies for larger items and goods.

M and S will also deliver to over 80 countries worldwide, and the prices are very reasonable, with European countires paying just £10 for delivery. You can pick up your order at your local store, and this is free. You need to take your order form with you for identification, and the collect in store feature is for clothing, food and beauty products. Your order will be available for 3 to 5 days for collection in store, after that it will be returned to stock and your money refunded.

Gift vouchers can be purchased on the site, and they will be delivered to your home, or you can get them at your local store on the high street. All deliveries can be tracked online if you sign up with m and s. You will also get e-mail updates on the latest bargains and deals for free, so it is an effective way to ensure you don't miss out on anything.

All in all marks and spencer shopping is the real deal. It has a great selection of quality products for all the family. All the departments have good stock levels, and a wide variety of all sorts of things. They may not be the cheapest around, but customer satisfaction and quality are what m and s are all about. It is what their business is built on, and their reputation. A new feedback system has just come into use, and now you can give your opinion on customer experience and satisfaction, and m&s will listen to you. It is the way forward, and shows that they do care about evry single customer, which can be very difficult when your company is so large. The online shopping store is very user friendly, and everything is easy to find, with some good interactive features to enhance the experience. M and S has reinvented itself over the last few years, and the site is proof of that.

John Lewis Online Shopping UK

2009-10-24T17:42:00.006+01:00

John Lewis are one of the biggest names on the high street and online as as well. Their website is becoming ever more popular because if offers so much choice, and has very unique ranges of high quality goods. John Lewis is one of the fastest growing retailers in recent years along with the littlewoods catalogue and they continue to do well this year. John Lewis has earned its reputation over many years by giving customers good value and diversity. The online shopping site has all the things you will find at the main high street stores, but it makes it a lot easier to get your hands on these goods because they are all laid out in front of you.

At the site you can request a catalogue if you feel like a good browse around the pages, or you can use the website to find your things. It is a very clean and user friendly set up, so you will not have too many problems. All the different departments can be found from the home page with one click. You choose from home and garden, mens and womens sections, furniture, toys, sports goods and equipment and electrical items. There are also many online only deals, and this has helped to bring more customers to their online shopping site. The competition is very fierce in the home shopping sector, but John Lewis seem to be doing better than most at present. The reason is because they have a very strong brand name and tradition behind them. The name is regarded with quality and value, and that is exactly what you get.

The prices are higher than most other catalogue shops, but john lewis cater for the more affluent shopper, and always have done, this is their niche market. For example, the televisions start at £590 and go on to over £1700, you don't see this at most other department stores. All the top brands are here too, and only the top models are chosen for the store. The televisions have some vey good bundle offers with them, such as cash back offers and free dvd blue ray players with selected models. All have a free 5 year guarantee thrown in for good measure. Computers and laptops are on sale, as well as cameras and mobile phones. The laptops are all new items, john lewis don't sell refurbished laptops or cheaper made goods, if you are after this kind of service you are better off looking elsewhere.

The womens department has clothes galore from top fashion brands like Ted Baker, Farhi and Barbour, as well as the john lewis own brands that are extremely popular. You have a style and fashion buying guide to help you choose the perfect look, full of tips and hints. You can also shop with the magazine or from the latest tv adverts. There is a separate section for these items and it allows you to find the advertised products much easier than before. There are many accessories as well such as hats, scarves, gloves and lingerie in the womens section.

The special offers department is very popular as you can imagine and in here you will find the most discounted items. Again, these are still not cheap, but they are much less than the regular price. As an example, the cheapest chair in the collection comes in at almost £450. All the sale items come from each department so there is a good choice in there.

Delivery is free on all orders over £30, which is the case for most of the larger goods. You can also pick up your order from your nearest store for free, and a time that is more convenient for you. Next day and express delivery is also an option for a bit extra, and you can even specify morning or afternoon times. Bigger items like furniture may take a little bit longer, but you will be notified when you buy.

You can use your john lewis partnership credit card to earn reward points every time you buy anything, and the APR is very low compared to other cards, so it is well worth having a closer look at. On the main site you can also use the store locator to guide you to your nearest store. Overall, john lewis uk offers top quality products, and has exclusive ranges that are the envy of other retailers. The facts show that they are growing every year, so shoppers are satisfied with the goods they receive. The online site is also popular because it is so easy to use. Shop by brand, price, size or department, everything is there for you to enjoy browsing through.

Tesco Direct Clothing Range

2009-10-17T20:26:00.004+01:00

Tesco direct have recently launched an entire clothing range for their online catalogue. This is the final piece in the jigsaw and will see them compete directly with the likes of littlewoods and the other big name players. They already have a successful and growing non food catalogue, and the addition of a clothing line puts it one step ahead of their bitter rivals, argos, who do not sell clothes. As you can imagine, tesco will not stop until they have dominated the catalogue shopping market, so the others better beware.

The clothing catalogue has a mens and womens department, and the focus is on affordable clothes, not designer labels, although there are some to choose from such as Nike, Calvin Klein and Timberland in the sports section. It seems tesco have bucked the trend and are offering something a bit different to the others. Cheap clothes will sell in the current economic times, of that there is no doubt.

At the moment the selection is pretty small, and not as extensive as the other retailers, but just like with their direct catalogue, this will grow in the coming months and years. It will take time to build up the stock and source it from their suppliers. The tesco brand is already very strong, so this will help them out, and their intention is to become the leading clothing provider in the UK.

There is also a girls and boys section, and they will cater for school uniforms and other related clothes. Most of the clothes are tesco's own labels, and these have sold well at some of their larger stores. The UK online fashion market is huge, and tesco has been very slow to join the rest, probably losing out on a lot of money in the process. ASOS has led the way, with unbelievable sales growth over the last year, despite the current financial problems. By selling own label clothes it is hoped that the tesco range will appeal to budget shoppers. It is just a way of getting these products in front of more potential buyers, so it makes a lot of sense.

Tesco Direct Catalogue Shopping

2009-10-16T19:55:00.004+01:00

The tesco direct catalogue has been around for a few years now, and is a direct attempt from the mighty tesco to challenege the established non food market. This means going after the likes of argos and littlewoods. The tesco catalogue is not quite as big as some of the others just yet, but it will not be long before they catch up. They have the resouces to put the fear of god into anyone and anything when they put their minds to something. Tesco buy in bulk, and lots of it, so they have a very powerful set up that enables then to compete on price with the rest. They have obviously seen a market for the non food items and have done something about it.

The tesco catalogue can be delivered to your home, which is what they have already started doing, you can pick one up when you go shopping at one of their stores, or you can go online and browse through it there. The main tesco.com website is where you can do your food shopping over the internet, and use the direct catalogue, or you can go to direct.tesco.com and find the catalogue there as well. The point here is that you will have no problems finding it.

When you to the site you will find it is set up like most other catalogue websites, with the departments available as small tabs at the top of the page. Underneath is the latest offers and deals, placed in big graphics to catch the eye. On the right hand side are even more special offers, and the category pages. It is is simple and effective at the same time, if a little bit dull in colour.

At the moment they seem to have a voucher deal going on that is very similar to what argos do with their voucher schemes a few times a year. Delivery of items is also comparable to what argos charge, in fact tesco make a point that their delivery costs are in fact lower than argos, so they have already started challenging them directly and are not afraid to higlight it.

Within each department you are greeted with the lowest priced item on sale, so if you go to the computing and phones section you get the best deal right in front of you, with a clear and accurate picture of the products. In fact you will find many pictures of all the products, more than with the argos site. It is a very visually orientated website, and this is what people like to see, it helps them form a decision early on in the buying cycle. Everything is easy to find and well laid out for you.

The real bonus are the prices though, which are very cheap, and you can bet they will be watching the other catalogue retailers to see what their prices are, and tailoring their prices to suit, much like they do with the food shopping operation. Tesco also have the ready made reputation and this makes a big difference when it comes to selling things. People will buy from tesco direct just because they already shop with tesco. They know what they are about, and like the customer services and prices, so they will be inclined to buy electronics, appliances and all the rest of the stuff in the catalogue. Tesco also has a huge customer base already, as they are by far the most popular food store in the UK at the moment.

If we look at the phones section, then there is a massive choice of mobile phones to choose from, and this is handy for tesco because they operate their own mobile phone network. They have their fingers in many pies, so you wil get a good deal if you buy a phone on the tesco mobile network. They can do almost everything for you in one place, and this makes it more convenient for customers.

You will also see some low priced televisions on sale, with all the top name brands. The prices are very diverse, and you have a good selection of cheap and functional, to very high spec and expensive. This is true for all the departments in the catalogue. Other departments include a garden section which has all the gardening equipment you could ever wish for, the home electrical department has all the kitchen appliances like fridges, cookers, freezers and washing machines. You have a gifts and toys department with loads of products in these ranges to choose from.

The tesco direct online catalogue is value for money, and one of the best around even now. In the future it will probably be the biggest and best because tesco always wants to be number one in whatever it does. It has the ability to take over any market it ventures into, and the resources to make this happen in a very short space of time. They have the consumer confidence and the reputation in their brand name, and the buying power to get products and services cheaper then the rest. The onine catalogue is clean and simple, and very user friendly. You can find what you want in a matter of minutes, and the delivery is one of the cheapest, with a wide variety if options at your disposal. Watch out for huge growth in the coming year as they increase the ranges. Tesco direct is here to stay.

Argos Extra

2009-10-16T14:32:00.003+01:00

Argos extra stores are the largest stores you will see on the high street or on the retail parks, which is where you find most of them. They are a pretty new type of store and offer the biggest range of goods, around an extra 2500 to be precise. Argos are building these stores at quite a rate these days, and they are identified by the extra logo on the front. If you shop online at the main argos website then all the extra goods will be displayed, and this means you can pick them immediately from the argos extra stores.

You can also choose to have them delivered to your home if you wish, so the way you can get hold of these items is much the same as any other item in the catalogue. You could always check and reserve them, and argos will deliver them to your nearest store. This could even be a local pick up point, because you have the choice of picking the goods up from a variety of convenient places that argos has access to. It all helps to give their customers the best service, and perhaps leads to repeat custom.

The main difference between the argos extra stores and the normal stores is the bigger range, that is the gist of all of this. So if you live near one then you will have access to everything that argos sells. They make it more convenient, and that is what shoppers like the best. If you don't live near the extra store then you can still have these items delivered to your local shop, it just takes about 3 working days for it to arrive, so it is not that much of a burden is it?

Argos has a handy store locator on its website to help you find the nearest store to you. Although you can hardly miss one if you live near it, they are growing in size every year. The floor spaces are huge, and they are a much more pleasant place to shop than the crowded city centre locations. The queues are much shorter as well, and they are better all round. The argos extra idea is a good one, because the stock levels will keep on rising and rising as they source new stock items from as yet unused suppliers. This will lead to more stores opening in the future no doubt. So now you know where to go if need the most hard to find items in the argos catalogue, happy shopping.

Very Catalogue Online

2009-10-10T17:01:00.006+01:00

The Very catalogue is the new name for littlewoods direct. They have changed their name in a big marketing exercise. What was wrong with the old name i have no idea, but very is the chosen replacement. You still have the main littlewoods catalogue that retains its name and has not changed just to make things a little more confusing. Completely changing a well known brand name is a bit of a risk that littlewoods are prepared to take, so perhaps they just wanted to keep their main name separate from their other business.

So what do you get in the very catalogue that is different from the old one? Not a lot by the looks of things. It still seems to have all the same departments and products in there. You have a very well laid out format that has all the things you need with just a few clicks from the homepage. The site is very good at grabbing your attention, with colouful pictures and images. The only clue that things have changed is the title obviously, and just a little mention that very catalogue is the new name for littlewoods direct. This is shown just below the main logo in an understated way.

Most people who look for the old catalogue will still search for it under the old name, but very.co.uk comes up instead of littlewoods. Customers will hardly notice the difference. Because littlewoods deals exclusively on the internet, this re-branding will not have cost that much money to do. This is a big advantage that their rivals cannot do. It was a bold move to move online but it has certainly paid off for them big time, so good luck to them.

The new catalogue has ten departments ranging from mens and womens sections, electricals, homeware, toys and sports and leisure. The womens department has many good features like the best sellers, the hot items, the top ten products, and fashion guides and advice from top designers and celebrities. Very is big on clothing and fashion, so this side of the catalogue is packed with items and goods to suit all wallet sizes and tastes. The good thing is that the prices are very reasonable, and are usually amongst the lowest on the internet. Another good feature is the "new in" section, where you quickly find all the brand new clothes and must have items. The style guides are also very helpful, and give a good insight into the latest trends and fashion ideas. The celebs section has all the goods endorsed by the recruited celebs who have their own ranges out. This is a fairly new thing, and is a unique way to sell more stuff that littlewoods are the pioneers of. Very clever marketing indeed.

The mens department does not appear to have any celebrity endorsements as yet. I imagine this will change in the future, or perhaps men just don't really follow fashion celebs as much as women do. They may not really care who is promoting a certain style and may not be interested in that sort of thing. Anyway, the mens section has a load of decent brand name gear in it at cheap prices.

The furniture department has over 1000 products in it, and is very comprehensive to say the least. You can shop by brand, price or by the different types of furniture such as bathroom, bedroom, living room or garden. It is all laid out in a user friendly way to make shopping at the very catalogue about as easy as can be. There is also a buy now pay next year offer, which is good marketing with the busiest time of the year fast approaching. It also helps to spread the cost of these expensive items. A good feature is the trend report and the latest looks, where you will find some valuable information from interior designers. This can help you sort your house out for free, or at least give you some handy tips before you start out. The improve for less ideas are also very good. The very catalogue gives you good information on how to save money by doing things yourself with diy products, or by how to redesign what you already have to create a fresh look that does not need to cost much money. Perfect for these times when money is a bit tight.

The electricals department has all the most popular things like mobile phones and ipods heavily featured. There are over 230 different kinds of mobile phones in the catalogue, so you are bound to find something you like. All the games consoles are included in this section like xbox, playstation and wii. The games for them are to numerous to mention, and you can even pre order the most popular games before they come out, just to make sure you get your hands on them first. You will also find hundreds of cameras and camcorders, computers and audio equipment. The games section has one of the biggest choices on the internet, with almost 1000 to browse through. Other good deals are the bundle packages, where you can save money by buying a new gaming console with a selection of top titled games thrown in for good measure. This offer has been very popular, especially as a gift for family members and friends.

The very catalogue has a massive appliances section, where you find every conceivable kind of appliance known to man. Shop by brand name or by price, the choice is yours. This is where you will find some of the biggest discounts, especially on kitchen appliances such as kettles, toasters and microwaves. All the latest gadgets that make life easier are in here, and this is a good way to pick out unique gifts for people. You also get monthly deals on the best items, so you will not miss a good deal when it comes around.

The home section has all the bed linens, table cloths, curtains, cushions, rugs and towels. Style guides will help you match these items to your current colour scheme in your rooms, and tell you what stlyes are hot right now and in the future. You will be spoilt for choice and ideas in here. Very comprehensive and detailed which is what people love. The home section also comprises all the garden furniture and accessories as well. Sheds, conservatories and out houses are in here, as well as gardening tools such as rakes and spades. Again the selection is huge and one of the best around. You can even get gardening tips and tricks from experts.

The gifts and jewellery psrt contians watches, rings, bracelets, perfumes and exciting gift ideas and novelty gifts. If you are struggling to find the perfect gift them the experience days are a great option. All sorts of experiences can be bought from driving sports cars to luxury spa breaks. You will never be short of ideas with the very catalogue online that's for sure.

The kids are taken care of with a huge toys department that will keep them entertained for hours on end. All the best known puzzles, games and learning toys are contained in the pages. To make things easier you can shop by age range or by price range. The latest upcoming toys are listed too, so you can keep ahead of the game and get things early for them.

The sports and leisure items have their own department, and you will find everything from weights to trainers, rowing machines to hooded tops. Shop by brand name or price, or find out what is hot at the moment. The prices for the sports gear are some of the lowest around, so littlewoods must be buying in big quantities from their suppliers. The customers benefit in the long run with beter deals and prices.

All in all the new very catalogue from littlewoods is full of good deals and huge variety of products. The prices are low and there is a good mixture of branded items and less expensive things. It will cater for all people and tastes, and whilst the name has changed, the bargains are still there, and it will become ever more popular with online shoppers in the UK.

Choice Catalogue Online

2009-10-09T10:46:00.008+01:00

The Choice catalogue has seen some huge growth over the last few years, which is probably down to its owners, the shop direct group, who have taken over the mail order catalogue business in the UK. This has allowed choice catalgoues to broaden their ranges extensively and become more successful in the process. The actual catalogue is an online only operation, much like Littlewoods are now, so the prices are much lower than they were a few years ago. With the competition so fierce in the retail sector, the likes of choice, littlewoods, additions and the others are all owned by the same company, will be the one's who survive. It hardly seems fair does it.

At the moment you can buy now and pay in a years time if you start an account with choice. You have to spend over £100 though, but the enticemnt deal is what draws customers in for the first time. You will also usually see £20 or £30 off your first order deals as well. It is a god way of doing business, and has been tried and tested over many years. The catalogue company hopes that you will stay with them for many years and this initial bonus will be made back, and then some.

The choice online catalogue is packed with many products from a wide variety of departments such as clothing lines with some top designer names, electricals, homeware, furniture, sports equipment and garden products. This goves a very broad range of goods and services to choose from. The prices are very competitive and you will find heavily discounted items on sale all year round.

Choice also gives you the option of collecting your items from their network of collection stores. There are over 3000 of these stores around the country and they are local covenience shops and retailers who are part of the set up. The reason is that they offer an alternative to waiting in all day for your parcel to arrive, which is a great idea, and is very customer focused. This is what keeps shoppers happy and means they will continue to shop with you.

The homeware section has every kind of home item you can think of. The goods are arranged in the different sections such as bathroom, kitchen, dining room and so on. You can also shop by price or by brand. This makes it very easy to see what you want, and find the things you are really after in quick time. Each section has its own special offers, and these are always on view from the main category page. The items that choice is really ushing are advertised in big bold pictures so you have no doubt about seeing them clearly. Every product has a picture with it and the price under or next to it.

There are also men and womens sections, where you will find all the clothing and accessories. The womns section has lingerie, bridal wear, shoes, jewellery, coats, hats and loads of other things. Likewise the mens section has hundreds of goods, and many gifts as well. For the kids there is a toys and games department with thousands of toys to keep them occupied for hours on end. All the latest computer games, and the big name consoles like the PS3 and Xbox are in here, with some great bundle offers such as discounts for buying a few games with any new console.

The appliances department has all the fridges, freezers, cookers, washing machines and other kitchen appliances you will need. You will also find many power tools and home improvement goodies as well. Another feature of the choice catalogue is the store card and rewards offers. If you keep on shopping with choice then you will be rewarded with even bigger discounts and money off your next purchases. The more spend the bigger the benefits, and many catalogue retailers use this option. It keeps customers coming back for more. The store card can be a good way of geting your hands on interest free shopping, but only if you use it wisely. You have to ba ware of the large interest payments if you fail to pay off your balance by the end of the next month. All big companies have these cards and they generate huge amounts of money with them.

Choice is no different, and on every page there is a link to interest free shopping, and to their store card. They push this like crazy because they want you to get in debt to them, this way they can make even more cash from the things they sell. Think about it, if you have a £100 fridge and sell it for £100 you will only make the profit on what you originally bought it for. Lets say choice got this fridge for £60, so they make a £40 profit on it. If the customer buys it using the store card and fails to pay the £100 balance, then the interest starts to kick in. This way choice could make a lot more profit on the fridge. You may end up paying an extra £20 or so pounds for it. This adds up to a large amount of money over hundreds of items every day.

Product insurance is another way for the catalogues to make more money. The manufacturers warranty is usally for one year and this is genrally enough for most people, but these companies push the aextra warranty protection like crazy. Most of them are not worth it, and this practise has been heavily criticised in the past, so you are better off staying clear of these types of offers.

Back to the actual catalogue, and it is one of the best on the internet by a long way. More and more customers are signing up and spending their money with choice online. The big attraction with all catalogues is that you have everything under one roof so to speak. It is a simple and efficient way of doing your shopping, and most items are only a few clicks away. The ease of use of the layout is a winning formula that helps retain the loyal customers, and the deliver is very good and prompt. You have to really focus on customer saisfaction in this sector or you will lose them. The competition is very fierce, and there are many other retailers who will do the job just as well if given the chance. This is why the choice catalogue is doing so well, and will continue to grow every year, offering bigger and better deals.

Littlewoods Direct Catalogue

2009-09-22T16:11:00.005+01:00

Littlewoods Direct has been a strong presence on the internet in the UK for a number of years now. Littlewoods took the big step of running a purely online business, and it has reaped great rewards. Strong brand promotion and advertising has grown public awareness of the littlewoods name, and they now have the largest home shopping catalogue. There are over 40,000 products available from their website, and the variety is truly phenomenal.

The clothing lines are the biggest sellers, and littlewoods have spent heavily in attracting the top deigners to market and endorse their clothes. Hiring celebrities to further promote their clothes ranges has been a large success as well. As well as clothes there are electrical items and home furnishings. Almost constantly there are special offers and discounts, all you need to do is follow the links on the littlewoods site to find them.

With such a large amount of stock it is inevitable that some of it needs to be moved quickly to make way for the new stock each season. All the various departments sell top line branded goods as well as cheaper budget ranges. This has helped littlewoods to gain a very large customer base, as they cater for all segments of the population.

The womens section contains hundreds of clothes, lingerie, shoes and accessories that women love. There is a trend and style department to keep up the date with the latest fashions and must have items. You can shop by price or by brand, and there are hundreds of designer labels that are much lower than the high street prices. The reason is because Littlewoods have much lower overheads, as they have no high street presence. This reduces store leasing prices, and allows them to sell products for less. This is then passed on to its customers, who are obviously a lot happier to get beter deals. These customers then come back time and time again, and littlewoods sells more stuff. Everyone's a winner so to speak.

The men's section has everything from suits and shorts, to trainers and sweatshirts. The sports department is very good value for money, especially for branded sports clothes. I have bought a few pairs of adidas trainers from them because they were far cheaper than anyone else on the internet. The delivery was also very good, reasonably priced and on time in perfect condition, which is exactly what you want. I can't fault them on that.

Other sport and exercise items are treadmills, rowing machines, cross trainers, free weights, home gyms and every kind of accessory you can think of. You can also shop by activity, so you have a football section, a cricket section and all the other sports. There is also a shop by brand or price facility, which is a good way to organise all these products into an easy to reach format. Featured in each little shopping section is the latest discounts and special offers. At the click of a mouse you are taken straight to the best current deals. You can even buy now and pay later if you use their credit store card. This can be a good way to shop, but it is only worth it if you can pay back the balance in time. If you don't then expect some pretty hefty interest charges to appear. Like most large companies, littlewoods direct are keen to push their store card as they generate huge profits each year from customers who fail to pay all of the balance on time.

The home department has just about anything that your home will ever need, such as linens, towels, wallpaper, bedding, and the list goes on. All the items have very clear pictures and the dimensions are right in full view on every page. There are some very nice lights in the home section, and at time of writing there sre over 200 lights to choose from. Floor lights and ceiling lights can be bought, as well as decorative lamps and shades. There is a good solid choice of most homeware in the littlewoods catalogue. Power tools and diy products are also in the home section, so you need to scroll down to find all these goodies.

The garden section has loads of stuff in it, from sheds and green houses to flowers and garden lighting equipment. The garden buildings range has a very extensive list and there are gazebos, summer houses and conservatories at decent prices. In fact there are over 170 different garden buildings at the moment. Lots of styles and designs are featured so you are bound to find something to suit your taste and budget.

Littlewoods direct have a great introductory offer where you get money off you first purchase. This is a clever way to gain trust and new custom, because littlewoods hope that once you sign up you will keep buying stuff, and the money off offer will be gained back over time. Their buying power also helps to sell things cheaper then their rivals, and this creates a snowball effect over a few years. They put pressure on their suppliers to force down their prices and use this to sell cheap things. Even the major brands will sell for less because littlewoods will be buying lots of their products, and keep on buying them, so there is a lot of repaet custom. All in all littlewoods are a success story which has been created by taking the bold move to go exclusively online and reduce costs.

Wooden Venetian Blinds

2009-09-19T08:10:00.005+01:00

Getting hold of some blinds is a practical way of adding a bit of privacy to your rooms. The catalogue retailers are big on this at the moment, and are selling bucket loads of them, especialy the wooden blinds. The reason is that they are just so different from anything else, and they last a hell of a lot longer too. Fitting them is pretty straightforward as long as you have measured your window frame carefully beforehand.

Venetian blinds have been the most popular blinds for years now because they are the easiest to operate and are reasonably priced. The blinds are typically hung horizontally and you operate them by turning a set of ropes to angle them, either fully open to allow light to come in, or fully closed to keep the light out. You can go halfway and allow only a bit of light to come through, so you have the ability of controlling how much light comes into your room at the twist of your hand, simple and ingenious really.

To match the blinds to other pieces of furniture in your room it is best to buy some wooden venetian blinds because almost every room has wooden furniture in it, like the sofa arms or the dining table and chairs. Wooden blinds are a lot easier to keep clean then others, and they will not show signs of dirt and fading like the white plastic kinds do. This is even more apparent if you have them in the kitchen, and you end up having to wipe them down almost every week.

There are literally hundreds of different colours and shades of wood in the catalogues at the moment, so you will have no problem finding the right blinds to match your decor. The prices vary a lot, and there are always discounts and sales going on. The mass produced blinds from the far east have taken over the market, and the west has responded by buying them in huge quantities. This has resulted in lower prices all round. Some of the quality can be suspect, so if you want real quality you are better off going to a small independant retailer who specialises in making blinds.

Cleaning wooden blinds can be as easy as wiping them down with a cloth whilst they are still in place. This only cleans one side though, so to give them a real going over you will need to take them down and clean both sides. They can be very delicate, so handle them with care when you take them down and you should be fine. Light wood colours such as beech and ash are popular in kitchens, as they allow a bit more light to reflect of them, and darker woods such as oak are used in living rooms and dining rooms to match the wood already in there.

Whatever style or colour you decide to have in our house the wooden venetian blinds will serve you well for many years. They are simple to install, and easy to use on a daily basis. Prices are very low, so you win all round!

Curtain Rods

2009-08-12T18:45:00.003+01:00

Curtain rods are a quick and simple way to add a bit of style and function to your curtains, and to any room in the house. They serve the main purpose of hanging curtains and drapery. However this doesn't mean you can't be a little creative in what you choose. Decorative curtain rods are the most elegant and sophisticated, and there are some fantastic designs on the market at the moment, and at reasonable prices too.

All kinds of materials can be used such as wood, metals, plastics and others to help the rods blend into their surroundings. There are even self supporting curtain rods that do not need any fixtures or screws. This makes the process of hanging curtains a breeze. The only downside is that these kinds of rods cannot hold much weight, ao they are best used for light curtains and drapery, or perhaps some kitchen blinds. Use them in an emergency or if you have just moved into your new home and need something to cover the windows in a hurry.

Shower curtains will always need the most support, and there is a huge variety of rods to fit any size shower, and any curtain design. L shaped rods, and D shaped rods enable you to change the style of your bathroom, and give you more room to take a shower without banging your arms. They also come with double rods so you can hang any wet towels without bringing the lot down on top of yourself.

Chair Covers

2009-07-27T20:39:00.003+01:00

A simple and cost effective way to freshen the look of your chairs is to cover them with some new fabric. Most chairs are going to get a lot of wear and tear during their lives, and stains and spills all add to your furniture looking old and a bit weary. Well, chair covers can take care of this in minutes. There are thousands of different styles and designs to choose from, from patterned fabric covers to sure fit covers that will fit just about any kind of shape you can think of.

Stretch chair covers also do a good job of providing protection at little cost, and they are also easy to use and maintain. Many of these designs are machine washable, so you don't have the hassle of having to scrub and clean the material, you simply chuck them into the wash and let them dry on the line. A few hours later your chair covers are looking brand new and clean again.

Custom or tailored chair covers will cost the most money, but this is really the most professional solution if you want your chairs to look as good as they were when they were brand new. Choosing the right company for the job is essential, and you want to find a reputable outfit if you choose this option. It is also worth deciding if your chair is actually worth covering in the first place. If the springs and joints are in bad condition the not may not be worth the expense of having them covered, you may find the new covers end up sagging due to the bad support underneath.

Most people go for covers that are going to protect what is underneath. Many new and modern designs come with waterproof or plastic backs that will absorb any unwanted spills before they start to damage the chair fabric below. Dining room chairs are especially prone to food spills, or wine stains at dinner parties.

Laptop Bags

2009-07-27T20:23:00.003+01:00

You have just bought yourself a fantastic laptop computer and paid a whole lot of money for it as well. That's great, but you should also think about protecting your investment. This is when you may start to think about a protective case to carry your investment in. A laptop bag is what you need. They offer a simple and affordable way to carry your computer in, as well as protecting it from bangs and scrapes, not to mention the weather.

Lap top bags are very affordable these days, and there is also a massive choice out there. You can have extra padded models that will really protect what's inside should you actually drop the damn thing. For every size of laptop there is a bag to fit it, and all the other accessories you may have as well, such as batteries and cables. Each will fit into the little extra compartments that a good quality bag will have. If you are wanting to add some style then this is no problem either. These bags come in all colours and designs, it's down to you to choose the one that's right.

You don't want to advertise the fact that you are carrying an expensive piece of equipment with you, so buy investing in a laptop bag you can conceal your precious cargo. Rain, dirt and dust can all damage your laptop and get right into the working parts and the electrics, so help them live longer by protecting them.

Tub Chair

2009-07-14T20:25:00.004+01:00

Tub chairs have always been popular, but they appear to be even more sought after tese days. The classic curves and shape are instantly recognisable, and they offer a very comfortable sitting position. The tub chair design has not changed much over the years, but more modern deigners have added to this unique styling with the clever use of fabrics and leather, as well as using plastics, metal and wood to create fresh and interesting design features that look good in any room in the home.

Tub chairs can now be seen in hotel lobby's, gentleman's clubs, offices and coffee bistros all around the globe. They offer the ultimate in comfort and style, and are a great way to relax and watch the world go by. The low centered arms are ideal for stretching out, or for reading the newspapers. The low back offers good visiblity instead of being restricted with the high back chairs. The seating position is a favourite in clubs and bars, and their is a real sense of regality to be had.

Double tub chairs are also popular as a central focal point of living rooms. They blend in very well with modern interiors, and more classical decor. It is this versatility that makes the tub chair a useful addition to the home or office. Many business people use tub chairs for meetings because they are easy to move around and don't take up much room. The swivel designs are ideal for breakfast bars, and there are many different designs to choose from. The prices are also very reasonable because there is large choice available, both online and on the high street.

Chesterfield Sofas

2009-07-12T21:41:00.003+01:00

Chesterfield sofas are probably the premium name in sofas. Their reputation is known worldwide for creating stylish and unique designs. The prices reflect this standing as the best maker of sofas in the world. They are very expensive, but they are also the height of luxury. Once you have sat in a chesterfield sofa you will know why they are much sought after.

The origins come from the Earl of Chesterfield and because of this rather royal background, the chesterfield conjours up a regal association. These sofas appear in the most expensive hotels, clubs and private homes all over the world. They are a status symbol for the rich and wealthy. The classic styling is instantly recognisable with the plush leather material and the deep seated position. The overstated button lines are another style statement. Whilst the real thing will set you back a hole lot cash, there are alternatives that give you the look without the price tag. Chesterfield style sofas are very popular, and they cost a fraction of the price. You can now have the chance to own a sofa in the chesterfield design that will really add some stlye to your living or dining room. The choice is pretty big, so there are many great deals to be found, especially online at the hundreds of furniture stores.

Coffee Tables

2009-05-17T15:13:00.004+01:00

Coffee tables offer a simple and easy way to add a bit of form and function to your living or dining room without breaking the bank. There are many different unique styles to choose from, wich is why they will fit into almost any kind of room decor you have. One of the most popular kinds of coffee table is the nested kind. These tables are a favourite because they do not take up much room. The bonus is that they can fit neatly around any piece of furniture, and then be brought out at coffee time.

Wooden coffee tables are by far the most common, and the texture and colour of the wood can really blend in well with your furniture. The only drawback with wood is that it can stain easily, especially with coffee stains, so be sure to find a well coated coffee table that will take some punishment. This is especially important if you have kids who will almost certainly spill things on it, not to mention bang and scrape it.

There are also many other materials and colours to consider if you are looking for more durability, such as plastics and metals. Even a black coffee table can be made of man made materials but still look like wood, and these are usually much cheaper than the more expensive wood varieties. Size is also a factor. You can buy coffee tables in all shapes and sizes, but there is no point in buying a huge coffee table if you don't have the room for it. Always check the dimensions of your room before you buy, to make sure the table will blend in. There is no point in buying a very big table if you are only going to use it occasionally, it will just clutter up the room and probably get damaged in everyday use.

USB Toys

2009-05-17T14:57:00.002+01:00

There are many little gadgets and toys that can brighten up your life without costing the earth, and the wide range of usb toys available now fit the bill just perfectly. Let's face it, almost everyone has a computer these days, and the usb toys just fit right into your usb socket. These gifts are great for novelty ideas if you have a friend who is hard to buy for, and we all know how difficult it can be sometimes when you just do not have a clue what to get them.

Well now you have the answer. There are many many different usb toys to choose from that will keep you entertained for a while, some of them do very strange things as well! The other benefit is that are cheap as well, and you can pick them up for less than £10. Most of the gadget and gift shops sell them, and i have a feeling they will become very popular in the near future.

Exciting new yoga pants

2009-04-27T20:15:00.002+01:00

Everyone wants to keep fit and healthy these days, and one great way is to take up yoga. It is a low cost way to keep fit, and also gets your mind in the right gear too. The online catalogues have an extensive selection of yoga accessories including mats and related yoga wear such as yoga pants and shorts. The cost of these clothes does vary quite a bit depending on where you shop.

Shopping online will give you a much larger choice than on the high street or mall. The prices online are usually much cheaper than the high street, and there are many discounted items such as yoga pants and trainers that always seem to appear if you look closely enough at the online stores.

Being comfortable when you do your yoga session is essential, as you don't need any distractions, and so help keep you focused at all times. Due to the stretching involved with yoga a comfortable pair of pants is needed, and you want to look for designs that will not rub, and offer good support. Whatever size you are, there will be something to fit your needs and requirements. You don't need to spend a fortune on your equipment, but you need to be sure that you are getting value for money when choosing your gear.

Both men and women are catered for at the online catalogues, with styles to suit both. There are also many different fabrics to choose from, but the most popular and probably the best for comfort is good old cotton. If you are a fashion follower then there also many exciting new styles and ranges out this year, so be sure to look out for these ranges at the many online retailers. Always check out the latest bargain sections, you will find the best deals here, and perhaps find just waht you are looking for.

Croc shoes

2009-04-24T09:01:00.002+01:00

A lot of the online catalogues are selling croc shoes now, and they are proving to be very popular indeed. The are certainly a fashion statement, and are instantly recognisable due to their bright colours and unique design. The summer months are on the way, and so you will see more and more people wearing croc shoes.

As well as being fashionable, they are also pretty good for your feet, and have been certified by the American podiatric society. This means they help with general foot complaints, and also aid posture and reduce pain and discomfort when you wear them. I guess you win in two ways here, one by helping your feet, and the second by looking good when you are out.

Croc shoes come from America, where they are already well established, and there are more amd more celebrities wearing them these days, which always helps to bring brand awareness for any company. The big bounus of croc shoes is the price, you can grab a pair for only $30 or about £20 in britsh pounds at the current exchange rate, which is a bargain any way you look at it. There are many different styles and colours to choose from, so you don't have to go for the reall bright colours if ou don't want to.

All in all, the croc shoe offers good value for money, and fresh, exciting styles that are good for your feet and health. Time will tell if they are a hit in the UK, but i have a feeling they will be, because they are something a bit different to the rest.

Argos Catalogue update

2009-04-23T21:38:00.002+01:00

The recent argos catalogue has gone down very well with customers, and it will not be long before the new edition comes out in the summer. The credit crunch has affected all businesses, and argos is not exception, with profits falling and people being made redundant. To fight back, argos has to offer even more low cost items becuase people just do not have the cash to spend, so the little bit they do have will almost certainly be spent wisely, and even then only on essential items.

Argos may even have to re-think their pricing policy, and also their product ranges to reflect these challenging times, for both customer and themselves. Only time will tell, and times will only get harder in the near future, with no end in sight of these hard economic times. Only the strongest will survive, and this can even help the likes of argos, who already have a strong brand awareness aa the market leader.

Smaller competition may fall by the wayside and leave argos and the other leaders in an even stronger position, as they may be the only one's left to fight for the spoils in the future. I believe this may well be the case, and then argos will really step up their high street and online presence.

Cheap Treadmills

2009-03-28T08:30:00.002Z

There is a huge choice of cheap treadmills available to buy on online, some offer good value, and others are not quite so good. As a general rule, you usually get what you pay for, and the durability and comfort of an expensive treadmill will really help you get the most out of your running experience. The cheapest treadmills will offer a less comfortable running experience, and will also be far less durable and comfortable to run on.

The best solution is to find an expensive treadmill at an inexpensive price, this way you get the best of both worlds. And there are plenty of bargains out there on the internet. Treadmills can cost in excess of £6000 for the very top models, these are the kind you find in the gym, and are designed for industrial use. The main players are Life Fitness and Technogym. These treadmills offer the ultimate running experience, and have te best support for your legs, and the smoothest tracks. They also have all the bells and whistles as far as functions go, such as speed control, inclines, and different running programs to test your fitness.

The other types of treadmills are the home based versions. These vary in price from around £100 to £3000. The cheapest treadmills are usually driven by your own power and the belt you run on is of a low quality. The more expensive the treadmill, the more functions it will have, such as calorie counters and spped control. The less expensive treadmills will just basically be a belt to run on, and as your ability increases you may find you need to change machines to cater for your progress. This is where you will find a need for a new treadmill, so it is always worthwhile thinking what your specific goals are when you go to buy your first treadmill.

The online catalogues sell hundreds of these treadmills all year round, but especially in January and February, as this is when people have got the fitness bug, and make an attempt to shed those extra pounds gained over the christmas period. This means there will be a few good deals around when those same people have given up running in a few months time. This is when you will find the cheapest treadmills become available. Buying second hand will give you the cheapest prices, but always make sure you know what to look for in a second hand treadmill as far as condition and wear and tear goes, you don't want to buy a poor quality machine and waste your cash.

catalogue shopping

2009-02-15T10:56:00.002Z

Catalogue shopping has grown over the years from small beginnings to the multi million pound industry we see today. Most of this growth has occured online, as internet shopping has grown every year, so has catalogue shopping too. The two go hand in hand, and almost every day a new company is created on the internet, hoping to get a slice of this huge market and the rewards that come with it.

Being first is always an advantage, and the likes of argos and littlewoods are ahead of the rest because they are now well established catalogue companies in their own right. Littlewoods especially have focuse all their attention towards online operations, and now have no high street presence at all. This highlights the power of the internet, and littlewoods have been quick to seize the huge growth online.

To do this must have been a big gamble, but the figures don't lie, and sales continue to rise year on year, and show little signs of stopping either. Argos catalogue have a different business plan, that involves mass market advetising, using many different media forms. The argos catalogue is now in millions of homes in the UK, and they also have a strong online presence and spend a lot on tv advertising as well.

These two catalogue companies are the most successful, and make sure their prices are competitive, and amongst the lowest you will find. Their buying power also helps to get their prices lower than the rest, and as they mnake more money they spend more on improving their product ranges, and lowering costs and overheads. Catalogue shopping online has changed over recent years due to these two companies, and other brands are struggling to keep pace, such as grattan and kays. They are the competition, and the fighting is fierce, but only the strong will survive, and the recent challenging financial times mean the best will rise, those with a solid businees plan, and large resources will thrive.

The large supermarket chains are also becoming more interseted in the online catalogue shopping market, epecially tesco, and are real challengers to the likes of argos

Kitchen Accessories

2009-02-13T16:32:00.002Z

You have got your kitchen just how you want it, designed just right with all the aplliances and fittings in place, the next step is to finish the job off properly with some snazzy accessories. You will find a massive choice of kitchenaid accessories online and in the high street, all designed to make life easier for you. These are the little things that make preparing and cooking things a breeze, and help you save time, which is probably the most important factor in the kitchen these days.

Food mixers, blenders, steamers, sandwich toasters, these are the things you need in the kitchen to make life simpler. The online catalogues sell thousands of these every single day, at the cheapest prices you will find. You can find ice cream mixers, smoothie blenders, pasta rollers, food grinders and a whole load of other accessories if you look hard enough. There are new designs coming into the market every single day, and each new model promises to be better than the previous one, so make sure you check out the various benefits of all these products before you buy, the last thing you want to happen is to buy something and find it at a cheaper price somewhere else.

Prices vary from different manufacturers, and you generally get what you pay for with these type of products, so it is a good idea to look for online reviews before you buy, these reviews can prove a great help in helping you make that final decision, and always take a look in the discount sections for sale items, and end of line accessories, you will find you can save a bit more cash if you spend a bit of time searching around.

HD Televisions

2009-02-04T19:23:00.002Z

There is a huge market for high definition televisions, with new models coming out every week. Staying ahead of the technology game is almost impossible unless you plan on spending a whole lot of cash evry few months. High definition is the new must have technology, and almost all new tv's come with freeview built in. The original set top boxes cost under £20 these days, and give you the opportunity to watch digital tv, and open up a new world of channels, that the terrestrial tv could not offer. New channels are moving to freeview every month, and very shortly you will need one of these set top boxes to watch normal television programs, as the big digital switch over is coming soon.

If you do not have a set top box you will probably have to invest in a dtv converter, which will allow you to watch digital tv on your old tv set. These are coming down in price all the time, so you really do need to make sure you are prepared for the switch, or you may find yourself watching a blank screen when you switch your set on, and you certainly do not want that to happen do you?

Obviously you need to shop around for these dtv converter boxes, and most people look for reviews from trusted online sources or forums. There are also many sites around that give honest dtv converter box reviews, and are often a good source of information with unbiased opinions to help you get the best box at the lowest prices.

Don't panic if you feel you have not sorted this problem out already, again, if you have a modern plasma or LCD tv you should already have the technology in built so no need to worry. If you don't have a modern tv set, then go online to the broadcasters websites and you will find all the information you require. Get a dtv converter box, and get yourself prepared.

Women's Lingerie

2009-01-31T10:40:00.002Z

The choice of lingerie online is huge, with every size and shape catered for. A whole range of styles from sexy to functional can be found, at all different price ranges too. Lingerie shopping online has grown and grown in recent years, and the competition is a fierce as in any market now. There are literally hundreds of online stores selling lingerie, so the choice is out there, the only hard part is finding the best store for variety and price.

You can buy bras, thongs, basques, knickers, satin panties, suspenders, you name it, it's all available online. If you feel a bit more daring you may want to try places like ann summers and la senza, who specialise in daring designs and classy lingerie sets. All the big name manufacturers are on sale at the stores, and celebrity sets are becoming more popular these days, such as the caprice range, and elle macpherson.

Bridal lingerie is always in demand, and this is also catered for, to make that special day go just the way you want it. There is also nightwear and dressing gowns online, as well as more glamorous nightwear in every kind of fabric to choose from. There is a massive range of bras, from balcony bras, push up bras, plunge bras, sports bras and multi way bras.

Things and panties are as popular as ever, and every kind of colour and shape is available too. Silk, satin and lace as the most popular fabrics, and there are some very inexpensive satin panties around at places like debenhams and marks and spencer in the UK right now. Lola Luna are making a big impact in the g strings and panties market, and there fresj and exciting ranges are proving a popular buy right now, with prices that are affordable.

All in all, the choice out there is great, and always look out for the special discounts and clearance sales that most of the stores offer on a regular basis, this is a great way to pick up a bargain and save some more cash.

DIY Home Ideas

2009-01-29T20:17:00.004Z

DIY is big business and so every opportunity is taken to cater for this market online. People want to save some cash and do things themselves, or just get the feeling of satisfaction by doing something on their own. Ther are hundreds of pages all focused on diy ideas and projects, and everything is there to give you all the help you will ever need.

Tools are an important part of diy, and getting the right tools for the job is essential, it makes the process so much more easier and less frustrating. Bathrooms, kitchens, bedrooms and extentions are all covered in detail online, and there are countless forums that provide essential help when you are planning your next diy projects, or are just looking for ideas to get you started.

You can get your hands on house planning software to make things clearer, so you can get your measurements sorted out before you rush off and find things are not right. This can help you avoid expensive errors right from the start, and many people make use of these plans.

There are countless ideas online, and if you do enough research there is certain to be something that will fit your taste and budget. Getting an idea of what you want is probably the most difficult part, and we all need some kind of inspiration from somewhere. Looking at what other people have done on a tight budget can really motivate you, and i guess being able to see these projects with the aid of photographs is a valuable bonus.

Others who have been successful with their own diy project are always willing to share their experiences with people, so it is a good idea to chat with them and get some tips to help you along the way. Remember, knowledge is power, so always make sure you research before you get into something, to make sure you are capable of it.

There are literally thousands of stores online that sell all sorts of furniture and accessories to make your diy home ideas come to life. Every taste is catered for, and every colour scheme known to man can be used to make your home unique. How much you want to spend is entirely up to you, but it is always best to try and plan your expected budget first, because the last thing you want to happen is a shortage of funds to complete your project.

Women's Fashions

2009-01-29T19:47:00.002Z

Every online catalogue has a big selection of clothing, but this is especially so for women, because quite simply, they spend the most amount of cash on the latest fashions, much more then the men do! There are pages and pages of women's clothes in all the major catalogues, and Littlewoods are the leaders in this field, with the help of the two self proclaimed style gurus, Trinny and Susanna.

Women's fashion is big business, very big business, and the likes of littlewoods and Next spend a great deal of time perfecting their ranges, so they can be totally in touch with what are going to be the must have items long before they even hit the streets. Getting this right is what makes or breaks sales, and a whole lot of cash is pumped in the ranges to get the right look.

Selling designer labels has always been a corner stone of catalogue shopping, they sell much better than non branded items because there is a much bigger profit margin involved. By getting top name fashion designers to make exclusive ranges for a certain catalogue is the way forward, and this is happening more and more. The cost of getting these celebrity fashion gurus does not come cheap, but the benefits must outway the expense, or else the catalogue companies would just not do it.

The key is to produce affordable fashion, cheaper clothes, and also the middle priced clothes, this way they cater for all wallet sizes, and keep their core customers happy. A big choice is also key as well. You have got have a wide variety to cater for all fashion trends and tastes. Next have focused on smaller ranges, especially for men, but their lack of profit last year shows just how easy it can be to lose customers if you don't offer the latest fashions that people will buy.

Again, littlewoods have got the correct blend of cheap to expensive, and have the best marketing tools to reach their target audience. Grattan and Kays are also not doing to well, and they really need to get their act together just to stay in business this year. The other catalogues have gone for certain niches as far as women's fashion goes, and have made decent profits, so there is a market for alternative clothing, but it has to be at the right price for people to buy them, and keep coming back for more.

The one drawback for the online catalogues is that you cannot physcially try the clothes on, so i guess the high street will always have the advantage in this, but more and more women are shopping online and browsing through the catalogues because the clothes are generally cheaper due to reduced overheads. Littlewoods now has no high street presence, and so can offer cheaper clothes than they did in their high street shops. Perhaps this is the way forward.

Fitness Equipment

2009-01-25T09:47:00.002Z

There is a wide range of fitness equipment available these days, to help you keep in shape. The prices you can pay for these kinds of fitness stuff is huge, so it is very important to know what your fitness needs are before you spend money on something you don't really need. Probably the best and most cost effecive exercise machines of recent years are the abdominal trainers. Argos stock a lot of these, as do Littlewoods, and the prices have really come down in the last few years.

The best seller from Littlewoods is the Weider crunch trainer which sells for around £30, and is one of the best and most durable machines out there, from a trusted brand. You also get a dvd with this ab trainer, which is a kind of six pack training guide, to help you get rid of that tummy flab, which i am sure most of us have especially after the christmas period. This is when most ab trainers are sold because it is when most of us have made that new years resolution to get in shape.

You can pick up an ab trainer for under £10 these days, but you generally get what you pay for, so it is a good idea to perhaps spend a little bit more on something that will be a more durable and will last longer. These are usually from the more well known brands who have been making these machines for a long time so they know what they are doing. Keep an eye out for the latest discounts from the online catalogues to help you save a bit of cash as well.

Designer Sunglasses

2009-01-25T09:21:00.002Z

There is a huge range of sunglasses and designer shades available from all of the online catalogues. All the top name brands are stocked, and with a wide range of prices as well. When the sun comes out the shades come out too, and everyone wants to look good, and the best way of looking cool on a hot day is with the latest style covering your eyes!

Because new style sunglasses come out almost every week, it can be hard to keep up with the latest style without spending a whole lot of cash. The top designer shades cost a lot of money, for example the top Oakley shades can set you back a few hundred dollars at least. Other big names are Gucci, Police, Ray Bans, and virtually every well known fashion house has their own range of designer singlasses.

The online catalogues know how big a market this is, and so they all have extensive ranges to choose from, and they usually cater for all kinds of wallet size. You can pick up a pair of designer sunglasses for about £50 these days, but the prices can go much higher than this depending where you buy them from.

Of course the more you pay the better quality the shades will be, you generally get what you pay for. You are paying for the name on the side, and the unique style at the end of the day. You also have to rememeber that all sunglasses serve a basic function of protecting your eyes from the sun, so you really do need them when you are out and about all day in the sun. But there is no harm in looking good while you are protecting yourself is there?

Cheap Catalogue Toys

2009-01-24T09:52:00.002Z

Catalogues have always had large selections of toys, for both young and old. The ranges and prices in the home shopping catalogues are the best you can get, even more so than the high street shops. The added benefit is that it is so easy to just browse through the products from the comfort of your own home.

John Lewis have an extensive range of cheap toys for kids from all the well known brands such as fisher price, playmobil, meccano, and many more. Everything is catered for with action figures, hannah montana, high school mucical, bob the builder and other popular toys. All age ranges are sold to, and there are specific toys for kids of all ages to enjoy. The ever popular lego is sold, which has been a mainstay of everyone when they were growing up. Star wars action figures are also best sellers, and there are also star wars sets based on the amazing settings within the ever popular film.

You can also buy toys for indoors and outdoors, so when the weather is bad you can still find some great toys to keep the kids entertained. There are also many board games to keep all kids of all ages, and adults as well entertained such as trivial pursuit and monopoly, the biggest selling board game of them all. You will also find many family games, and magic trick games to while away the hours.

If you want to test your brain then there are many puzzles and jigsaws available for all ages, from pre-school to teenagers to adults. Jigsaws can drive you crazy, and there are some very difficult ones out there to test you. All the major online catalogues stock many varieties of jigsaws at all different prices, so just get browsing and look for them, the selection is huge.

There are also many gadget and electronic toys around these days such as nintendos and gameboys, as well as a huge range of electronic action toys and puzzles. The prices vary a lot on these kinds of toys so it is worth checking out the clearance sections to find the best discounts on electrics.

New Argos Catalogue 2009

2009-01-17T08:50:00.002Z

The brand new argos 2009 catalogue hits the shelves with even lower prices and more choice than the last catalogue. Every time there is a new edition, there is a shopping frenzy, with bargain hunters galore searching through the pages to find the new stock and the promotional offers. Argos bring out a new catalogue every 6 months or so, so the next one will be out in July.

After having a quick look on their website, the new catalogue is selling LCD tv's for under £100, amongst many other price cuts. The selection is bigger, and with this credit crunch at the moment, and all high street traders suffering profit falls, the launch of this catalogue could not come at a better time for argos.

Argos is suffering to, with a dip in profits, so you can bet this new catalogue will have some pretty special deals in it, to get people buying again, and perhaps raise some profits and keep their staff in jobs. Don't forget that when ever a new edition comes out, there are also many discounted items in the clearance section, as argos tries to get rid of it's old stock.

Dvd recorders

2009-01-16T22:08:00.004Z

Argos have a big choice of dvd players and recorders at very competitive prices. It was not so long ago that dvd recording equipment cost a small fortune, but as technology advances, the prices start to come down. Dvd recorders allow you to record your favourite programs and films to a small dvd disc, and then you can do whatever you want with it, such as dvd copying by switching the information on one disc to another.

Dvd players are the norm these days, and the days of bulky video recorders have long since gone. Dvd players and recorders allow you to store much more information, which means you can store more of your own films and tv shows, and the re-writable dvd discs allow you to copy over previously recorded stuff in an instant. You can easily just have one single disc and keep using it to record everything.

If you feel a bit more inventive you can hook up your dvd recorder with a computer for some dvd duplication, and transfer from one dvd to another, this is a good way to keep a back up, or use it to build up your own dvd collection, just beware of any copyright infringement.

Argos have a vast array of this type of equipment at very low prices, and there are always discounted dvd players at low prices if you do enough searching in the catalogue. The most modern dvd recorders now have built in hard disks that do away with the need for individual disks, and you can store a whole load of things depending on the memory of the dvd. The larger the hard disk space the more you pay, but if you are a keen film and tv watcher then you may very well need all the disk space you can get. Look out for hard disk capabilites before you buy as the latest models all have larger storage space, and a new model comes out virtually every week, as the technology moves ahead.

argos camcorders

2009-01-06T19:13:00.003Z

Argos have a very large range of digital camcorders on sale, in fact there are over 56 at present, all offering different user experiences. The price range is also very large, and it is important to know what your needs are before you go out and spend your money on them.

Argos specialises in selling discount digital camcorders, which is why their prices are amongst the lowest on the internet, and why they have such a large amount of stock. The biggest difference in the camcorders is how they store what you film. There are cassette camcorders, dvd camcorders and now we have the high definition digital models. All are designed to to be compatible with most televisions, so you can record and then play your films back on your tv.

The miniDV camcorders can store up to one hour of filming, and are the cheapest kind you can buy. The DVD camcorders store you films directly onto a dvd, and you can just put this into any dvd player and watch away, which makes the whole process a lot more simple.

The high definition camcorders allow you to store a lot more memory, and you can get up to 30 hours playback. These digital camcorders just connect up to your tv or computer. All digital camcorders have zoom features that allow you to get closer to the action, and the amount of extra features depends on the price you are willing to pay.

There is a big selection in the argos catalogue, so make sure to browse through all the models if you want to make sure you get the right one for your needs. Keep an eye on the many discounts argos offer, and also in the clearance section for even more bargains.

Dual Sim Cards

2009-01-06T19:00:00.003Z

The future of mobile phone technology is already here in the UK, and the dual sim card phone is just that. It allows you to take calls from two networks, and use the two networks as you wish. So you can take a call from vodafone or t-mobile whenever you want to. This is great if you are having connection problems with one network, you can just use another one.

You can also have a business sim and a private sim, so you can keep both parts of your life separate and now you don't need to have two phones with the dual sim phone. This offers a great alternative to having two mobile phones and could save you a lot of money in the process. At the time of writing, only the 3 network does not have this coverage, no suprise there eh? Prices are about £195 at the moment, and for this you get a 3.5 inch screen, an mp3 and mp4 player, and a camera thrown in as well.

As time goes by this phone will become very popular and so the prices will also start to drop. They are quite hard to get hold of at the present time and there are limited places to get them. Don't be suprised when argos joins the party and looks for a piece of the action by advertising in it's catalogue and in the national press.

Latest Argos Laptop Deals

2009-01-03T11:32:00.004Z

Argos currently have some great deals on the latest laptops from the top names. The biggest seller is the Sony Vaio NR38 with a 15.4 inch creen size. This laptop gets a 5 star rating from over 27 customer reviews, so you know that people are buying this model, and they are all very impressed with it too. The price is currently £379.99 and at this price is one of the best deals around on this Sony laptop.

What makes this such a popular choice? Well it has an Intel dual core processor and 1.86GHz processor speed. It also has 1024Mb cache so this is fast enough for most needs, especially as you get some powerful features for this price. There is also 2GB RAM which makes it pretty powerful. The screen is a wide screen, so you can watch your dvd's the way they were meant to be watched.

The argos Sony Vaio also has a multi format, dual layer optical drive, and you get a DVD writer and CD re writer. You get an Intel graphics card, and 350MB graphics memory. There is also a whopping 160GB hard drive so you can store huge amounts of songs, videos and pictures on this. On the software side you get Windows Vista home premium already installed and a range of other software as well.

The price of this laptop makes it an ideal option for college students to do their course work on, and it is considered to be one of the best laptops for college, this ia why argos have been able to sell so many, and why this model gets good reviews.

Another popular argos laptop is the Samsung R610 16 inch laptop which is on sale for £549.99 and has a whole host of features. The most prominent of these features is the huge 250GB hard drive and the 2 GHz processor speed. There is also 2 Gb RAM and the main feature is the blue ray optical drive, so you can watch your favourite films in high definition.

There are many more deals on laptop computers at argos, and they currently have around 50 models on offer. Look for the clearance section for bigger discounts, and the upcoming new argos catalogue means there will be more nargains on laptops soon.

argos ipods

2009-01-03T11:32:00.002Z

Argos sell a huge range of mp3 players including the famous apple ipod, which is the biggest selling mp3 player of all time. Ipods come in all shapes and sizes, and with many different features that allow you to listen to your favourite songs. Which kind you go for depends on how much money you have really. Argos sell ipods from all the various price ranges, so you need to take a good look at them and decide the best one for you.

The main thing to consider when buying an ipod or mp3 player is the memory. A 1GB memory can hold around 500 songs and still have some memory left over, and there are ipods that have much more memory than this. If you think that a 30GB memory can store about 20,000 songs and these can still fit in your pocket you realise that this type of ipod or mp3 player will most certainly hold your entire collection of songs and then some.

The larger the memory the higher the cost, but argos currently sell a 1GB apple ipod shuffle for under £30 in a wide variety of colours, and this represents a great deal, and is one of the best ipod prices you are likely to find anywhere. You also have access to the apple i tunes software, which helps you organise all your tracks and create playlists with ease. At the other end of the price scale is the latest apple ipod, the ipod touch 32GB, which will set you back around £322. This is the latest in ipod technology and has a huge amount of features.

The ipod touch also has a small screen, so it allows you to watch films and video as well, much like the ipod nano which came out a few years ago now. There is up to 5 hours continuous playback on this ipod, so you can watch films for 5 hours, ideal if you are on a plane journey. It can also store thousands of your songs, so you can listen all day long. The only drawback is the battery life, but 5 hours is the best you will get at present. Better technology in the future will no doubt be able to increase the battery life, and i guess it will not be that long before we have 12 hours playback ipods.

Argos have the biggest selection of ipods around so it is worth taking a look at the catalogue, and the customer reviews also help you decide if it is worth spending your money before you buy.

Argos Prepaid mobile phones

2009-01-02T23:16:00.003Z

There are even more great deals on mobile phones at the moment at the argos website. Argos are really pushing their mobile phone stock, and are constantly lowering their prices, which now means they are some of the most competitive on the market. There are prepaid deals, contract phones and pay as you go deals from all the main mobile networks such as Orange, T Mobile and Vodafone, and all the latest must have phones from Nokia, Samsung, LG and many more.

The prepaid idea does get a bit of a bad rap these days, and is similar to the pay as you go idea in the UK. Basically you top up your mobile phone with credit, and then you simply use this credit to make phone calls and texts, or browse the internet and even download games.

The main problem with the prepaid deals is that the cost of phone calls is much higher than if you are on a contract deal. The more you top up your credit the more the mobile network your with will give you little bonuses such as free text messages at certain times, or small discounts on calls. Another big problem is the cost of making a call to another mobile phone. These calls can be really expensive, depending on the time of day you make the call.

You can get cheaper calls if you ring someone who is on the same network as you, but if they are not then you will pay a heavy price. These calls can cost up to 50p a minute, sometimes more, it all depends on which network you are with. O2 have their own sim cards that offer free texts each month if you top up your mobile phone with at least £10 per month, so you can get some good deals out there.

Prepaid mobile phones are all over the place these days, but you will also pay more for the actual phone because you buy it outright from the start. Contract deals give you the phone for a much cheaper price, sometimes they are even free, however if you do sign up to a contract with a mobile phone operator you are then tied to the contract for around 1 year, up to 18 months, and you still have to cough up the monthly payments for this term. This means that the original cost of the phone is absorbed into this price, so in reality the phone is not free at all, it is just a tempting way to get people to sign into the contract.

At Argos there is a wide range of prepaid phones on offer, with very different prices and features, so be sure to check the catalogue for the latest deals and discounts because they change very frequently.

argos audio equipment

2009-01-02T17:15:00.002Z

If you fancy a bit of music in your life then look no further than argos, they sell a wide range of audio stuff such as cd players, hi fi equipment, headphones, mp3 players and many other accessories. You can buy micro audios, cinema surround systems, and full blown audio stuff as well.

The micro audio systems start at just £15 and these systems are ideal for the kitchen or bedroom because they are so small and compact. there are also desk top systems that can easily fit on your work desk. The Bush desk top system is one of the most popular at argos and costs just £29.99 at the time of writing.

All the audio systems come with a full manufacturers guarantee and you can also purchase the product replacement cover for extra piece of mind if your audio system should happen to break down. It costs a bit more for this cover but it does offer you piece of mind, afterall not everyone knows how to fix anything audio, unless you really know what you are doing, so it is best to leave it to the experts, or just have the thing replaced.

The mini audio systems are a bit bigger than the micro systems, and these cost a bit more as well. You can expect to pay anything up to £300 for a top name branded mini system. There are much more features on these systems, with ipod docking facilities, mp3 player docking stations, cd player and much more. The speakers are also much more powerful, and the sound quality is ususally much more clear and crisp on the more expensive models. All the top names are stocked at argos such as panasonic, sharp, pioneer, kenwood etc, so there is something for all tastes and budgets at argos.

If your looking for that home cinema sound then you can really go to town at argos with the huge range of home cinema equipment. Watching tv will never be the same with one of these systems. The surround sound really does give you a cinema experience, and the position of the speakers around your room helps to intensify the sound. A sub woofer brings out the bass like nothing else, and there are many to choose from at argos. Look out for the end of catalogue sale, and the clearance section to find the best discounts on audio equipment.

Argos garden tools

2008-12-30T12:47:00.006Z

Argos not only sell stuff for inside the home, they can also take care of your garden needs as well. If you want the perfect looking lawn then you can. There are many items available to help make your garden look the way you want it to. There are currently about 50 lawn mowers in the catalogue ranging from the cheap to very expensive, it just depends on the size of your garden really. There are also many garden power tools and garden furntiture to help you get the most out of your garden.

If your looking to keep your prized lawn in order then you will need one of those lawn mowers. The right mower depends on the lawn, and there are a few different kinds to choose from, each doing a different job. The first kind are the cylinder kind, and these give a vey close cut, and the rear rollers help to give the classic striped effect. The main problem with cylinder mowers is that they are not so good on uneven lawns, and also you need to keep emptying the front basket as it gets filled with grass cuttings, which can be a problem if you have a big lawn.

The next type are the hover mowers, and the main benefit of these are their lightweight feel, as they glide over the lawn. They are usually inexpensive and easy to move around, and are the best option on uneven lawns or banks and gradients. The blade cuts easily through grass and uneven lawns.

Rotary mowers are the next option and are the best choice for larger lawns. They do not offer as good as finish as the cylinder mowers, but they are much more durable and will last much longer. You can also adjust the blade height so you get just the right finish you want.

You can of course hire a company to take care of your lawn for you, if your garden is just too big. Many people do this and there are a whole range of companies out there with different services and prices, scotts lawn care are one of the most popular around, but you can find many local firms who come highly recommended, or of course you can just do it all yourself, it all depends on the time you have available to you.

The last kind are the petrol mowers and these are the most expensive on the market, but are the best you can get. These mowers are used for mowing large lawns, and they also give the best finish for the least amount of effort. As long as you can keep it in a straight line you will be ok. Argos sell all these types of mower from all he best brands so there is bound to be something to suit your gardening needs.

Latest argos mobile phone deals

2008-12-24T15:47:00.003Z

With the argos end of catalogue sale coming up, there are plenty of bargains around, and there are some great deals on mobile phones at argos right now. You can pick up an LG KP100 Ruby for under £10, which is a superb deal as it still looks stylish and modern in all silver, even by todays standards. There are another two cell phones under £10 as well in the catalogue. The LG Ruby has over 70 customer reviews and gets 4 stars out of 5, which means you know you will be buying a decent phone at a really low price.

Another great bargain is the Samsung C300 on the orange network for only £14.69. This also gets 4 out of 5 from 36 customer reviews, and has a front sliding design, with downloadable games. Because it is so cheap argos only allow one handset per customer, but if your looking for a high spec mobile phone for peanuts then this is a good choice to go for.

If you fancy something that offers a few more features then the Samsung E250 is the most popular choice on the t mobile network. This is on sale for just £29.99 and you get a whole lot for your money. It has a built in camera with x4 zoom, a 65k colour screen, video capture and playback and is also an mp3 player. You also get bluetooth, 13mb memory and it is WAP compatible. This phone gets a 5 star rating from 34 customer reviews, which makes it one of the top argos mobile phones at the moment.

The argos Nokia 2630 is also a big seller at the same price as the Samsung E250, but with the classic nokia style that so many people love. It has virtually the same spec as well, and this also has a 5 star rating from 16 customer reviews.

As with most mobile phone deals the phones themselves usually come with a network operator already picked for you, so in the UK you have the big 4 mobile networks like orange, t mobile, O2 and vodafone. This is the same all over the world, so in the US you have big networks like at&t cellphones and in europe you have telefonica, and so on. These networks rule the market and have come under fire for their high costs, and complicated tarrifs, but recent reports suggest this system gaming will soon be at an end, which is good news for all of us.

At the other end of the price scale there are also some very expensive mobile phones at argos, such as the Nokia N96 , which is currently on sale for a whopping £587. This phone does just about everything, but the price is still very steep at the moment. The best bet is to get this kind of phone on contract, which usually means you pay a much lower price, and sometimes it is even free. But don't be fooled by this, the contract you sign up for is usually over 18 months, and the cost of the phone is built into the contract price, you don't really get anything for free these days.

All in all, argos are selling big quantities of mobile phones this year, and they offer some of the lowest prices around, but also look out for the clearance items, which usually come out when there is a catalogue change, which will happen early in the new year. This is the best time to get the best deals at argos.

Xmas Wine gifts

2008-12-23T13:40:00.003Z

If you are looking for some inspirational gift ideas this xmas then there is almost certainly something in the john lewis catalogue. For those who are perhaps a little bit difficult to buy for you need some ideas, and there are plenty of those around in the online world. For those wine lovers there are many great gift ideas, and you will find just the perfect gift this xmas.

Hampers come in all shapes and sizes, and they are very popular at this time of year. Wine hampers are even more popular and many companies give these to their staff for a job well done. Of course you can also send them to your friends and family, and i am sure you all know someone who likes the odd tipple! A wine gift basket is the perfect solution.

You can buy many different kinds of wines from different regions and countries. Many wine baskets are sourced this way, so you can have an all french basket, or an international wine basket if you feel a bit more ambitious. Wine lovers love to taste wines, and enjoy new experiences. Prices are not as expensive as you may think, and you can pick up a 6 bottle wine basket for around £30. Of course you can pay much more than that if you wish, and there are hundreds of fine wines out there, it all depends on your budget.

Many wine baskets can be tailored to your requirements. Most companies have set selections, for instance there are 2 bottle packs, 3,4,5 and so on, and these usually come with a pre selected range of wines. However, you can specify the wines you want in them as most stock a wide range of wines from all over the owrld. The big disadvantage with the likes of john lewis and littlewoods is that they don't do this. This is because they are catering to a mass market, and it would not be possible to deal with every request on an individual basis.

The specialised companies will do this for you, so the catalogue option may not be the best choice. Having said that, there are many different variations available online so you can still find the wine basket to suit most requirements. Most wine hampers will have a combination of red, white, rose and even champagnes, or you can just have all of one kind, depending on what your wine lover wants.

Catalogue companies thrive on people who don't quite know what gifts to get others, and so come up with useful ideas for these people. Wine gifts are just one of many, you can even get one's that come with a selection of cheeses as well. It is just another way to sell more stuff, and the catalogues love it.

Littlewoods Bathroom Designs and Ideas

2008-12-23T12:50:00.002Z

Argos, Littlewoods and John Lewis catalogues all have a great range of bathroom accessories and ideas to transform your bathroom. From colour schemes, paints, bathroom furntiture and planning ideas, there is something to suit your style in there. Home improvement is big business, and can add value to your home. All the online catalogues sell bathroom furniture such as showers, baths, toilets, bidets, and towel warmers to name just a few.

John Lewis sell many cabinet fittings, basins, wall units and shelf units in a huge variety of colours and styles. There are loads of things to help you plan your future bathroom style, and make it just the way you want it. The basin units available at John lewis come in a range of colours and fittings so you should find something to go with your current colour schemes or help you plan a totally different look.

You can also buy co-ordinated fittings which all have the same style. This has the advantage of placing all the components in one easy place, so you don't waste time searching for things that match, the work has already been done for you. All the accessories are well laid out and the pictures are true to life, so you can really see what these things will look like before you put them in your bathroom.

There are a wide range of bathroom mirrors as well, and a great mirror design can really set your bathroom apart from the rest. Other little touches such as chrome taps and fittings can also give you that modern look for little cost. It is these small details that can really bring out the best in your bathroom, and most catalogues stock a huge variety of accessories so you will never run short of bathroom ideas.

Showers are also taken care of, and there is a vast array of shower fittings, rails, heads, curtains and units to choose from. Towels can also give the finshing touch, and a perfectly co-ordinated colour scheme with your bathroom always helps.

You will find many bathroom ideas at john lewis and littlewoods as well as many other companies. It pays to look around first, but the big benefit is that you will probably find the perfect solution from somewhere within the ranges.

Argos Home Gyms

2008-12-23T11:33:00.002Z

Home gyms allow you the freedom to train your body in the comfort of your own home. Argos certainly has the largest selection of home gyms from the major catalogues these days. They have built up their product lines over quite a long time, and can offer a huge range from all the best known brands.

There are many different kinds of home gym, with various features so it is important to look into the specific details of what each has to offer before you spend your money. Prices can run into the hundreds, but there are also many cheaper alternatives and it all depends on what you need to use them for.

As a rule, the more features and pieces of equipment your home gym has, then the more parts of your body you can train. There are also many different attachments that can be added to give you more of a workout. Home gyms can come with pec decks, leg extensions, lat bars, pulleys and of course weights. There are a whole range of weights that can be added to your machine, and also single or double stack weights.

One the main problems with home gyms is that they take up a lot of space, and the more expensive your gym, the more attachments will come with it, so you certainly need to look at the size of the gym and make sure it will fit into your room before you buy. The argos catalogue tells you all the dimensions on the product pages so make a note of these and then measure the room you intend to put your home gym in before you commit to buy it.

The top end gyms can run into thousands of pounds, so if you just want a low paced workout it may be better to go for something cheaper, it all depends on your level of fitness and what you want to get out of your workout. The station is where the weight stack is found, and this is the centre of the gym, where all the resistance is created for your workout. Most home gyms have a stack pin system which allows you to increase or decrease the weight by simply removing the pin to the desired weight level. This is a quick way of increasing esisitance without having to move heavy weights. If you have been a member of a gym you will probably be familiar with this concept.

Double weight stacks allow for more than one person to use the gym at the same time, so if you want to get the family involved look for this feature. The single stack models only allow one person to train at one time. The big advantage of a home gym over free weights is that they reduce the risk of injury, and place less strain on the body parts. This is especially useful if you are a beginner, you don't want to injure yourself when you just start out. You can place your body in the correct position on the home gym and then start to exercise, starting with lower resistance and slowly building up over time.

Argos home gyms come with the one price delivery of £5.95 which when you consider the weight and size of a home gym, is a bargain. Littlewoods and John Lewis also stock home gyms among others, and their ranges are growing all the time as well. Home gyms offer a real alternative to joining a private gym, especially if you are bit wary of exercising infront of other people, this is why so many are sold all over the world, and is why the catalogues sell so many.

John Lewis Coffee Makers

2008-12-23T10:15:00.003Z

Coffee makers come in all shapes and sizes, and there are literally hundreds to choose from. All the major home catalogues stock these coffee makers so it is important to know which is the right one for your needs. John Lewis have provided a buyers guide in their catalogue which helps you make an informed decision, so you can buy with confidence. The prices do vary a lot, and you can spend quite an amount of cash on these coffee makers, so you certainly want to be sure you know what your getting first.

Filter coffee makers and perculators are the most common types, and these can start in price from around £25. The idea behind the filter machines is that water drips through the coffee and settles in the pot or cup underneath. Theses cups are usually heated so the coffee stays warm until your ready to drink it. Different coffee makers have different cone filters with them. As a rule, the deeper the cone filter the better the results.

The coffee filters can be paper or permanent. The paper filters are thrown away after each use, and for this reason they are considered to be more hygenic. The permanent filters are just that, so there is less messing around, although they do need cleaning regularly to avoid build up, which can affect the taste of the coffee. This can get messy if there is quite a build up, so beware of this when choosing your coffee maker.

The perculators work the opposite way round. You add the ground coffee at the top of the machine and water in the bottom. The coffee perculator then boils the water, and the resultant steam is then forced through the filter, which in turn makes the coffee in the bottom. The longer you leave the perculator, the stronger the coffee will be, and you can actually see the colour of the coffee as it becomes darker. This allows you to control the coffee strength.

All the online catalogue sell these coffee makers, and there are others to choose from as well, such as espresso and cappuccino makers. Their popularity has grown signifcantly over the past few years, and i will review some of the more popular models in future posts, from some of the more well known brands. The coffee machine bubble shows little sign of slowing down, which is why so many catalogues are increasing their product ranges.

Argos Treadmills

2008-12-21T21:12:00.002Z

The argos catalogue has a decent array of treadmills. There are currently around 33 different treadmills in the catalogue. There are two kinds of treadmill to look out for. The first is the manual kind, and these are powered by the person running on the belt to make it move round. Manual treadmills are the cheaper alternative, and are usually very basic. They can be used if you are just starting out on a fitness regime, but for more energetic workouts they are not really up to the task. It all depends on what you need, but the argos catalogue does sell a wide variety of the manual versions.

The second type is the motorised treadmill, and as the name suggests, these are powered by a motor. Because of this, they are far more expensive than manual treadmills, but they offer a much better running experience. Prices vary a great deal and it is worth the time to look at the finer details of what each treadmill has to offer.

The motorised versions usually have a digital display that tells you about heart rate, calories, distance and speed. More advanced models have programs that can include inclines to simulate hill running. The more expensive treadmills have higher top speed capabilities, some up to 20km/h. Many in the catalogue also have hand rails which you can hold onto while you get used to running, or in case you lose balance.

The cheapest argos treadmill sells for around £79 and this is the Pro Fitness folding manual treadmill. This machine does have a 4% incline ability, and there is also an LCD display to tell you your distance travelled, speed and calories burned. The big advantage of the manual argos treadmills is that they are much smaller than the motorised one's, and almost all of them can be stored flat, so you can easily use them and then store them away in a cupboard or under the table.

At the other end of the scale there is the top priced treadmill, which costs £1272, and this is the Reebok 7.5. This has all the features you would expect for this price. The speed goes to 18kph and the elevation goes to a 12% incline. There are also many programs to choose from, that will test your fitness. The problem with paying this much money for a treadmill is that if you join a gym and it costs say £30 per month, this relates to about £360 per year, and so you could run on the gym treadmill for about 4 years for the same price.

The big difference between the treadmills you can buy from the argos catalogue and the kind you find in the gym is huge. Gym treadmills are industrial, and these are the best you can get. These cost around £5000 each, and are designed for excessive use. In short, they offer the best running experience you can get. They are much more superior to home treadmills, they offer better support, better comfort, better everything.

I have looked closely at buying my own treadmill, but after looking a bit more closely i decided to join a gym and use the best equipment they offer. No home treadmill comes close i'm afraid, no matter what the manufacturers tell you in the marketing hype. However, if you just want a cheap little training tool then go for it, the argos catalogue will have something to cater for you.

Argos Fitness and Sports

2008-12-18T20:29:00.003Z

As well as selling many items in the argos catalogue from many different categories, argos now have a sports and fitness section. There is a whole new world of fitness stuff in the catalogue, ranging from bumb bells right up to the best home gyms money can buy. No matter what your fitness requirements, argos will have the solution at the best price as well. They have been slowly expanding their stock of fitness equipment, and no offer one of the widest selections in the UK, all at the same place.

You can buy rowing machines, home gym's, treadmills, cross trainers, ab crunchers, pilates mats, swiss balls, the list goes on and on. Prices start at under £10, and for just over £6 you can buy a whole range of tummy crunchers and abdominal trainers. All the ab trainers come with easy to understand instruction manuals to help you get the most out of trainers, the manuals tell you all the best stomach execises to help you get in shape. One of the most popular choices is the argos pro fitness abdotrim stomach exerciser which gets a 4 star rating from 11 reviews. The price is an unbelievable £6.49, and this is a huge saving from when these types of ab trainer first came out.

Argos also stock a few mini steppers, and these things have grown in popularity due to their small size and easy storage. The added bonus is that they give you a great work out for a small price. The kirsty gallagher mini stepper sells like you will not believe, and at £30 it offers good value for money. The mini steppers have featured on many television programs, and there are many different variants available, all at varying prices. There are mini steppers with handle bars to help you stabilse yourself, and others with handles to work your arms as well as your legs. This gives you a tougher workout, and you can adjust the resistance of the stepper as you progress.

Home gym equipment from argos gives you the freedom to exercise when you want, and how you want, without having to fork out for a gym membership. Many people may feel a bit daunted by the thought of joining a gym, so the best solution is to try it at home, it costs much less, and lets you work at your own pace, without the fear of thinking everyone is looking at you. As you get fitter you may then decide to join a gym, but at least all the hard work has already been done, and you will already feel more confident.

Argos stock a multitude of rowing machines at great prices as well. There are treadmills for serious runners with inclines and various programs to challenge you. All in all the argos catalogue has the answers if you want to get yourself fit and in shape, for the lowest prices on the market.

Argos Catalogue Cookers

2008-12-17T18:54:00.003Z

There is a wide range of cookers in the argos catalogue to choose from. The cookers come in two main varieties, free standing and range cookers. The free standing argos cookers are designed to fit into any gaps in your existing kitchen, such as between your fridge or washing machine, or contained within your kitchen units. These cookers usually have a hob, oven and a grill.

Argos stock many kinds of cookers depending on what you need from a cooker to best suit your needs. There are electric and gas cookers, as well as dual fuel cookers, which combine the best of both energy types to give you the best results when cooking. A popular choice is the electric oven and the gas hob. You can also buy double ovens, which allow you to cook two things at the same time, which is a great help if you are having a dinner party or are cooking for a lot of people.

Argos also sell single ovens with a seaparate grill so you can cook in the oven and grill something at the same time. There are also many fan assisted ovens in the argos catalogue, and these kinds of ovens allow you to cook food more quickly than conventional ovens. All the free standing ovens come in a variety of shapes and sizes, so there will always be a cooker that will fit into your kitchen, no matter how it is set out. A wide range of colour schemes also allow you to find the oven that matches your current kitchen style.

The other type of cooker is the range cooker. Range cookers are larger than the free standing ovens, and are an ideal choice for busy families who do a lot of cooking, or have people round the house a lot. Argos have many range cookers at very competitive prices, usually with great discounts so it is always a good idea to check the website for promotional offers, or clearance items.

A popular choice is the Beko free standing oven which starts in price at around £175. The great thing about modern argos cookers is the new technology in them. This Beko cookers has 4 hob rings, one rapid heater, two semi rapid and one standard heat. This is ideal for cooking things fast becuase the rapid heat allows you to reheat things much faster than a normal heating hob. Many cookers have double glazed windows so you can easily see what is cooking, and the double glazing means all the heat stays in the oven, so you do not waste any energy.

All the best brands are in the argos catalogue such as Hotpoint, Indesit, zanussi and many others. Prices vary from about £150 all the way upto £900 for the top range cookers. The dual fuel cookers are also very popular, and todays modern cookers have defrost and slow cooking features, so you can make the perfect food time and again. Electronic timers and settings allow you to switch the cooker on at any time, or go off at your desired time, so you can cook your food even if you are not home, and have it ready for when you do return home.

Todays soaring energy prices have lead to many people buying wood burning stoves. These kind of cookers rely on wood to burn in them, which in turn feeds the cooking process. They are thought to be much cheaper than electric or gas cookers. Installing wood burning stoves is not an easy thing to do, and there are many companies that specialise in this field, to make any changeover as smooth as possible. Wood burning stoves can also be used to heat your house, and this saves on central heating bills, as the burning wood powers all the radiators in your home.

There are a wide variety of wood burning stoves available on the market today, so the choice is huge, and the styles vary considerably, so it is always a good idea to look around for the best deals on the internet or at cooker showrooms. With energy prices rising all the time, wood burning alternatives are here to stay, and it will not be long before argos stock them in their catalogue, and at the best prices.

Argos also offer the connect and collect service on many cookers in their lines, and they will install your new cooker and take your old one away. This saves the hassle of having to do it yourself, or hiring a plumber for the job. And don't forget to measure the gap in your kitchen where your cooker will be going so it fits before argos come and deliver it. All the cookers in the catalogue state the dimensions on the product page, so you know beforehand what size they are. Argos constantly update their cooker prices, so be sure to check back often to see the latest deals and special offers available in the catalogue.

Argos Catalogue Cameras

2008-12-14T10:47:00.004Z

Argos catalogue sell a wide range of cameras for all kinds of needs, and from all the best brands at the lowest prices. The catalogue is packed with every kind of camera you can think of, and with helpful buyers guides there is something to suit everyone. Todays digital camers allow you store hundreds of photos at the click of a button. There is no need to worry about pictures that don't come out right, because you can easily just delete them and carry on. That is the real beauty of digital cameras.

The cameras at argos are some of the best you can buy, and with digital you can just take your photos and they are then stored on a memory chip. You can then transfer these pictures onto your computer and print them off, or just keep them stored on your computer to view whenever you wish.

Cameras come in all shapes and sizes, and with different capabilities. You can be pretty sure you can buy a cheap digital camera at argos. The choice is vast so it is important to choose the right camera for your needs and requirements. Todays modern argos cameras are very small and lightweight, and are designed to be able to fit in your pocket.

Resolution refers to how clear the picture your camera will take. The digital photo your camera takes consists of millions of tiny pixels, and this is refered to as mega pixels, ie how many million pixels your camera is capable of taking. The higher this number of pixels, the sharper and clearer the picture will be. Another benefit of high pixel count is that you can enlarge photos and not lose the sharpness, so if you are looking to create photos and then make them bigger, such as printing them out on paper, then always look for the biggest amount of pixels in your potential camera.

Modern argos cameras can go upto 8 mega pixels, and at this rate of technology it is even possible to print photos out onto A3 size paper without losing picture quality. This is a far cry from the older cameras that had no way of allowing you to do this. The results were usually bad and the picture quality was even poorer the bigger you wanted the picture.

Screen size is important when choosing an argos camera. The largest screen sizes are around 5cms, and these make it easy to view what you are taking. The downside is that this large size makes the camera more bulky and bigger, which may make it more difficult to carry around. As a general rule, if you want to print pictures of sround 10cms squared a camera with 3 mega pixels will do the job. If you want to print photos upto 20cms squared then you want a camera with about 4 mega pixels. 5 mega pixels will be needed to print good quality photos upto 25 cms and above that you want to look at about 8 mega pixels. There are even argos cameras that are 10 mega pixels and above, and with this technology you can now print A3 size photos without losing clarity.

Argos also sell many cameras that have a zoom feature, almost all digital cameras allow you to do this now. The zoom let's you get closer to the action you want to photograph. The downside is that you can lose focus the more you zoom in, however, the most modern digital cameras don't suffer from a loss of clarity even when you zoom in really close.

Most cameras have a zoom lens that is retractable, this means that the zoom will automatically pop out and back in when you have finished. This allows the camera to still be compact and fit in your pocket, which always helps. The more modern the camera, the more zoom it will have, this is like magnifying the picture. There are two kinds of zoom, optical and digital.

Digital zoom enlarges the middle of the picture, so you may lose some focus on the outer edges of the photo. Optical zoom is considerd the better choice, as this uses lenses to magnify the picture and so you do not lose the clarity. Many optical zooms allow for 3 times the magnification, but the latest argos catalogue cameras allow for 5 times or even 10 times magnification.

Argos have the right choice for the right price if you look hard enough. A large selection of cameras at affordable prices mean you can always find a camera to suit your needs. Fast delivery and good customer service, and very informative buying guides mean you can enjoy the shopping experience at the argos catalogue. With prices coming down all the time before xmas, and no doubt even more prices will be slashed in the new year, there has never been a better time to get the camera you want at the price you want.

Argos Catalogue Laptops

2008-12-13T14:17:00.004Z

Argos have a huge selection of cheap laptop computers in their catalogue, available to buy online or in store at their superstores. Top name brands such as Fujitsu Siemens, Hewlett Packard, Samsung, Sony and many others as well. The prices are some of the most competitive around, and there is something for everyone, no matter what your requirements are.

Modern technology has brought laptop computers to the masses, and where once they were very expensive, now they are realistically affordable for many people. The beauty of a laptop is the small size and portability, so you can just pop it into your carry case and take it with you, wherever you plan on going. The advance of technology means there is little difference between desk top computers and modern day laptops.

One important thing to remember is that it is much more difficult to upgrade a laptop than a desk computer, so you should always aim to buy the best you can, with the latest technology and the biggest memory. This can be difficult when you have a set budget, but try to push the boat out one this one if you can.

Argos laptops come in various sizes, and it is important to get the right laptop for your needs. Screen size is a factor to think about, as the larger the screen size, the more bulky your laptop will be to carry around. Weight is also important, although the latest computers are very light weight, which always helps with this point.

The top laptop in the argos catalogue shopping range is the Sony Vaio CS11Z/R 14.1. This laptop comes in a striking red colour, to give a bit of style to the user. Gone are the days of boring black or silver laptops, and there are now many colours to choose from. There is an intel core 2 duo processor, with 2.26 GHz of speed, and 4 Gb DDR2 ram, which makes this argos laptop very fast indeed. There is also a huge 320GB hard drive to store huge amounts of data such as photos, music and movies.

The screen size is 14.1 inches, and there is a multi format dual layer optical drive with blue ray, so you can experience high definition right on your laptop.As if this was not enough there is also a 128MB graphics card included. This is the latest in technology from argos, at a very competitive price of just over £900.

At the other end of the scale is the cheapest argos laptop currently on offer at just £293, and this is the Fujitsu Siemens Amilo Li 2727 with a 15.4 screen size, which is in widescreen format, so you can watch your dvd's just how they were intended to be. There is a powerful intel celeron dual core processor, and 1.73GHz speed, which is fast enough to do the job. Memory is a 120GB, so there is plenty of room to store loads of data with this laptop. There many other features with this argos laptop to mention here, but the amount of technology now available in modern day laptops is truly incredible.

Battery life is also very important, as you don't want to get stopped suddenly when you are in the middle of doing something important, so always look out for the battery life when buying your laptop. Generally, the more expensive models have the longer battery life, so you get better results if you spend more money.

The pace of modern technology means that laptops increase in their capabilities almost every month, and what you think is the best, most advanced model when you buy, could well be way down the list in just a few months time. This is the nature of the game, so be prepared to accept this, unless you keep on changing your laptop every couple of months, which is not really an option, unless you are loaded with cash.

There are other ways to save money when buying a laptop. You don't have to buy a brand new model, there are other alternatives such as cheap refurbished laptops, which are a great way to save vast amounts of cash. Many of these are much chaeper than the original, but offer just the same performance at a fraction of the price. It is like buying a new laptop when you know where to look for these deals.

Argos also offer cheap laptops in their special offers section, and even more chance to save in the clearance section, so be sure to look out for these when you buy your laptop. Argos offer great discounts all year round on their stock of computers and laptops, and the choice is one of the best and biggest around, combined with their buying power, argos offer one of the best places to save cash on laptops.

Argos Catalogue Flat Screen Televisions

2008-12-12T22:40:00.003Z

Argos Catalogue has a great selection of flat screen tv's on offer, from all the top names, with loads of different styles of tv's to suit your budget and lifestyle. Argos flat screen televisions are ideal because they can fit very easily into any size room due to their slim design, so they don't take up much room, unlike the old wide screen televisions that were heavy and very large. You can even hang a flat screen tv on your wall and be adventurous.

Argos flat screen tv's come in a range of sizes, with the smallest being around 15 inches. These small screens are perfect for use in the kitchen or in the bedroom because they are so small, and you can happily cook along to your favourite programs. At the other end of the scale are the much larger screen sizes, which can go up to 52 inches, which is just like being at the cinema.

In the middle of this are the medium size screens which are typically around 26 to 32 inches, and are the most popular choice for most people, as they give you the best of both worlds, great screen size for family entertainment, but not too big to fit in any room.

Argos catalogue have many flat screen tv's, and they usually come in two types, plasma or LCD. The big question is which is better? Well LCD tv's suffer from picture blurring if you are watching fast action, such as sports. The technology in the LCD cannot keep up with the speed that the pixels are changing, hence a blurred effect. Plasma tv's can keep up, so there is not blurring or distortion when watching programs or sports events. LCD tv's are slimmer., so they can fit into places that plasma tv's can't, but this is hardly a great advantage, you want the best picture, so the plasma is the best for picture quality above 37 inches.

Argos sell a huge range of both plasma and lcd tv's from top name brands such as Sony, Samsung, Panasonic and Philips to name just a few. One of the best deals at the moment is the Samsung 32 inch LCD flat screen tv with high definition, which is at the very low price of just £349. Integrated freeview is included, so you don't even need to buy a set top box with this tv.

Argos also has a 40 inch digital LCD tv from Samsung for £790, and this has a five star review rating from customers who have bought it. This is the top of the range from Samsung, but there is even a 50 inch LG LCD tv for less than this, at around £720.

The main benefit of flat screen tv's is that you have a wuder viewing angle, which means you can see the screen from wider angles. The old wide screen tv's did not allow this, so you had to sit infront of the television if you wanted to see a clear picture. Plasma and lcd technology means this is a thing of the past, you can still see a clear picture even at almost right angles. I own a Panasonic Viera 32 inch plasma tv myself, and this model is widely acknowledged to be one of the best tv's money can buy. This could be the reason that it has not come down in price that much, even after a few years. They are very highly sought after and recommended, and regularly top the opinion lists as to which is the best plasma tv.

Samsung are highly regarded for their lcd tv's, and there is a wide choice in the argos catalogue. If you decide to mount your tele on the wall, then there is a wide range of wall mounted brackets at argos, you can even have swivel brackets that allow you to pull your tv out of the wall and turn it to face any where you want it to, and neatly fold back into the wall to save space. A great invention which one of my friends has added to his tv experience.

Check out the argos catalogue latest deals to save even more money on flat screen tv's, or the clearance section for even better discounts. With flat screen technology moving at such a fast pace, there is always room for cheap discounts and low prices. High definition has now come along and brings with it superb picture quality, it is just like being at the cinema. Digital surround sound also adds to the cinema experience, right in your own home.

Argos Catalogue Carpet Cleaners

2008-12-08T19:19:00.003Z

There are a whole range of carpet cleaners in the argos catalogue, with a wide range of prices depending on what you require to clean your carpet. From cleaners that will clean small spills such as wine and food, all the way to industrial strngth carpet cleaners to give your carpet a real good seeing to, argos has all the answers with their range.

The top argos carpet cleaner is the Vax all terrain carpet washer which gets a 4.5 out of 5 in the customer reviews, and is the most popular choice. It can clean carpets and also hard floors hence the name. It has an automix system which means the right amount of solution and water are automatically mixed together to give you the best results.

The Vax also has an auto rinse facility and has a heater inside to heat the solution to just the correct temperature to give the best results on all surfaces. The tank holds 3.7 litres of solution and clean water, and there is a 3.3 litre tank for dirty water, so you can clean for longer without having to empty anything. Another great feature is the auto cut out system, which is activated when the tank becomes too full, so you will not have dirty water spilling on to the floor you are cleaning.

This argos carpet cleaner also has tools that can be attached to make the cleaning process easier, such as the removable spin scrub attachment which has brushes that rotate to agitate and lift dirt on carpeted floors. For hard floors there is another spinscrub feature that allows the cleaner to raise dirt from the floor. There is a 2.3 metre hose so you can reach those hard to get to places without having to strain yourself.

There are many other tools that come with this carpet cleaner, and a storage compartment built into the cleaner to maximise space. There is also the powerful air path technology which provides edge to edge cleaning and gets right into corners so there is no build up of dirt there. The cleaning solution is also included. Small spills are easily taken care of due to the powerful suction this vax model has. This is the best cleaner you can get for the money, in fact the only thing that will clean better is an industrial cleaner and they are much more expensive. The best bit is the 6 year guarantee that comes as standard, so you are safe in the knowledge that you will be able to clean away for many years to come.

There are also many other top name brand carpet cleaners at argos such as Bissell, who are making a name for themselves in the carpet cleaning world for their quality products. The Bissell clean shot all surface upright cleaner is the hot product at the moment and is their range topping cleaner in the argos catalogue. This carpet cleaner can even clean your stairs and sofa, as well as the carpets and hard floors. It is one of the most versatile cleaners on the market for the price, and is one of the best carpet cleaning machines you can buy for the price.

The Bissell has two brush bars that rotate with six rows of bristles on each brush which gives you 12 rows of cleaning power, which is twice the cleaning power of most upright cleaners, and so this speeds up the cleaning process. For those really tough stains there is a 3 inch tough stain tool that gets rid of these nasty little marks with ease. Hot air vents on the side of the machine help to dry out carpets a lot quicker even while you are still cleaning them. A two tear standard manufacturers guarantee also comes with this argos carpet cleaner, which gives you piece of mind.

For small spills that can always happen such as someone spilling their wine at a party you can buy the morphy richards spillmaster which is designed just for the job of tackling these types of little spills. It is lightweight and small so you can just whip it out and do the job no problem.

All in all, argos offer affordable carpet cleaners that are some of the best quality products out there. Fast delivery and good customer and product backup give you the peace of mind when buying, so what have you got to lose?

Argos Mobile Phones

2008-12-07T10:27:00.009Z

There is a huge selection of mobile phones available at argos from all the main networks and manufacturers. The choice is huge and the prices are very competitive indeed. There is something for everyone, and argos can always find the right mobile phone at the right price, with the contract to best suit your needs.

There are Orange, Vodafone, T Mobile and O2 contract cell phones at argos, all with easy affordable payment plans. All the top name brands are there too, like sony ericsson, samsung, lg, motorola, nokia and many others as well. The top deal on the orange network is the orange nokia 6500 slide mobile phone, which is currently one of the top argos phone deals. The nokia 6500 is a 3G cell phone with a slider style handset, hence the name. It has a colour screen and a built in 3.2 mega pixel camera with 8x zoom, so taking photos is a breeze with it, especially when you are on the go, or need that must have picture right away. It also has a video capture and playback feature.

This handset also has an mp3 player and bluetooth capability, to make downloading and data transfer from another bluetooth enabled mobile phone a lot faster and simpler. The nokia 6500 also has a massive 20MB internal memory, so you can store large amounts of pictures and songs. And as if this was not enough you can also expand the memory with a compatible card. This argos mobile phone also has quad band radio, so you can listen to all sorts of channels.

Talk time is 360 minutes, so the battery allows for long phone calls, or internet browsing, without having to constanly re charge the battery. You can also download games and it is WAP compatible. All the phones listed in the argos catalogue have customer reviews as well, so you can get an idea of what other people think of using them, and what they will like to live with, before you part with your cash.

Argos also have a very extensive buyers guide to mobile phones which gives you all the information you need before you buy, as to what might be the best phone for you. The modern phones of today have so many features that it is always a good idea to look through the guides so you can get just the right combination that will suit your needs.

The camera phones at argos allow you take pictures on the go, and the quality of the picture you can now take with an up to date camera phone is quite remarkable, up to 8 mega pixels with the latest offerings. Many can also shoot short video clips as well, so you can have your own little short movies when and where you want. Others have built in mp3 players and radios, so you can while away the time listening to your favourite tracks. Even if you get a phone call, the mobile can stop the music, allow you to take a call, and then carry on where you left off listening to your song when the call has ended, so you don't miss the best parts. This means you do not have to mess around pressing buttons to receive the call while you are listening to your music on your argos mobile phone.

The phone designs at argos come in three main styles, with the traditional bar shape, the slider, and the clam shell. The bar shape is the shape most of us are more familair with, with a rectangular shape which has the screen above the controls, all on the same interface. The clam shell design is a fold over design, and this has the advantage of allowing for larger screens and keyboards. Another benefit of the clam shell is that it protects the screen and keyboard when it is closed, so if you give your mobile phones the odd bang and scrape you will be better off with this design becuase your important bits are more protected. The bar design is also very sturdy, and can take a bit of abuse, but not too much. This can be a good idea especially if you have bought a mobile phone for your kids, and yes there are even kids cellphones around nowadays. The screens on the bar designs often get scratched, so it is not as good as the clam shell for wear and tear. Also, with the clam shell, the keys are protected so you have less chance of accidentally ringing someone if you nudge the phone against something in your pocket or handbag.

The slider argos phones do just that, they allow the screen to slide out to the top, and this allows for much larger screens, whilst still protecting the keypad when it is not extended. However, because the screen is always visible it does mean there is more chance of scraping and scratching it, so you need to take this into account when you are thinking of the right style of phone for you.

There are phones with different screen sizes at argos to choose from, and the kind of screen you need to look at depends on what you want to use the phone for most. If you are planning o do a lot of web surfing on watching videos then you will want a larger screen size to get the most out of this. Todays mobile phones have excellent picture quality and resolution that enhance the user experience. If you want to use your phone as as personal diary or organiser then a bigger screen will be the best choice as well.

If you just want to make phone calls or do some texting, then a smaller screen size will be the best bet. Smaller screens make the battery last a longer, and so you can talk for longer as well. All mobile phones are connected to the main phone network in the UK, but some also connect to the GPRS network which allows you to send small amounts of data like e-mails. Many phones also connect to the 3G network, the most modern and high speed mobile phone connection. This is what allows you to go on the internet, and send e-mails all over the world. Bluetooth allows you to send and receive data from other bluetooth enabled mobiles and it is all free to use. Using this feature allows you transfer data such as videos and pictures between other phones very quickly and easily, so if you want to share your photos this is a great feature that will save you a lot of time.

Argos offer all the latest phones ans accessories at affordable prices. The choice is huge and the information on every type of phone and deal is extensive, so buying through argos makes the process very easy. For even more savings you can buy used cell phones as well, and the best deals can usually be found on used verison cell phones at the moment. Delivery is very fast and efficient so you can order from the catalogue with peace of mind, knowing you are getting a quality phone on time.

Argos Travel

2008-12-06T08:44:00.005Z

Argos have their fingers in many pies and they are much more than just a catalogue selling company. In order to boost profits, they have branched out into travel insurance, and now offer very competitive deals for travellers no matter where in the world you want to go. This gives a great opportunity to combine your holiday with a tailored travel insurance package.

It is vital that you take out travel insurance when you go abroad. There are so many things that can go wrong, and the last thing you need is to find you are not covered after the event. With so many different countries and so many cultures, you always need to be aware of potential problems you may encounter when you are travelling.

The great thing about argos is that you have the ability to buy great products from the catalogue such as sports equipment, including golf clubs and accessories, and if you fancy going on a golf holiday with your new clubs, you can also get yourself covered, all from the same place. You can travel to anywhere in the world to play golf, such as america, europe and even asia. Argos give you the ability to buy your gear and insure yourelf all in one go, with the click of a button.

There are many top name golf brands available at argos such as nike, dunlop and wilson, all at very competitive prices. You can buy any kind of golf club to suit your game, with loads of other accessories including golf bags, putters, sand wedges, golf balls and golf wear. There are also many golf training aids, and even more golf shoes from the big hitters such as adidas and nike. Everything is taken care of at argos, and they have built a solid reputation for offering quality name brands at the lowest prices on the high street.

So if you fancy going on a golf travel package holiday, and many golfers do every year, you can kit yourself out with all the necessary golf things you will ever need, to make that holiday go with a bang, and get the maximum enjoyment on your holiday. With the weather in the UK so changeable, it proves a real problem for golfers to be able to get a ound in without feeling the adverse effects of the weather in some way. The solution is get out of the country and travel to sunnier places, where you can enjoy the sun on your back as you play golf. The enjoyment you get from playing in good weather is something that all golfers know very well, and your game will improve no end, but it all comes down to finding the best places to play.

By venturing out to distant countries, you can also broaden your horizons, and meet new people from different cultures and places. If you make the effort to travel around the globe, it will present you with new challenges, and also different golf courses, which will take your game to new levels, and test your skills. Every country offers a new challenge, and there are no limits to where you can now travel to, if you are ambitious enough. America has some of the best golf courses in the world, and also some of the most beautiful scenery.

Just take the augusta national course where the masters is played every year. The flowers and the trees are in full bloom if you visit at the right time, and what better way to play a game of golf with such a great background. You get the feeling you are at one with nature. There are also many other great venues to try in america. Arizona has a great reputation for building golf courses, and if you take the time to travel there you will be rewarded with fantastic scenery, great weather, and great golf courses.

The best way to get the most out of your golf holiday is to book a golf package travel holiday with a company and get yourself on a flight there. If you fancy visiting arizona and playing golf then it is vital to get some inside knowledge about it first. There are many golf packages in arizona that can give you everything you require to make your golf holiday a very enjoyable experience that will make you keep going back year after year.

A travel package is essential to make things run smoothly. You can then enjoy your holiday safe in the knowledge that everything is taken care of fo you. You can just focus on enjoying your golf game and you will find you impove much faster when you have no worries in the background. Visting places just adds to the enjoyment, and what better place than a sunny place, improving your skills with your friends in a nice warm sunny climate.

Argos can provide you with the tools and the safety to do this. They are much more than just a catalogue, as many people are finding out. Big savings can be made on a whole range of fantastic products. When you add the travel to this you really are on to a winning combination. Great destinations like arizona just help to make your experience all the better, you can't fail to get the most out of life if you travel.

Argos Shopping Delivery

2008-11-27T10:03:00.004Z

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.

Argos catalogue shopping

2008-11-25T12:26:00.003Z

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 Argos Catalogue

2008-11-23T16:53:00.008Z

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.

Argos Catalogue

2008-11-23T11:25:00.002Z

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