Milton Keynes, UK, 2015-10-8 — /EPR Retail News/ — Argos is revolutionising online shopping by becoming the first retailer to offer same-day store collection, and same-day home delivery, for nearly 20,000 products across the UK.
The new service is called Fast Track. Customers can see Fast Track items clearly online, purchase them, and choose to either collect them from a local store or schedule a same-day or next-day delivery slot.
Customers choosing Fast Track Collection can collect their products from 800 Argos store locations nationwide, at specially marked Fast Track Collection counters, from Argos colleagues who will have the products in customers’ hands within 60 seconds. Fast Track Collection is free.
Customers choosing Fast Track Delivery can select from four convenient home delivery slots: 7am-10am, 10am-1pm, 2pm-6pm and 7pm-10pm, seven days a week including Sunday. Customers can order by 6pm to have an item delivered by 10pm the same day, or schedule a convenient time on the next day or future days. The delivery fee is only £3.95.
Like the Argos team members serving Fast Track Collection customers in-store, Fast Track Delivery drivers are Argos employees, specially hired and trained and working in local stores around the country. Argos has created new jobs for 3,300 drivers, who will operate the 800 liveried Argos vans in streets up and down the UK this Christmas season. Up to 1,000 drivers are currently being recruited for the busy upcoming Christmas season.
Fast Track Collection and Fast Track Delivery are possible because of behind the scenes improvements Argos has been making during the past two years to its stocking, distribution and digital systems, such as the ‘hub & spoke’ stocking model it deployed in stores last year. Fast Track has been in testing for several months and customer reaction to the new home delivery service in particular was very positive. One customer tweeted: “…the fact that Argos do same day delivery on a Sunday makes me so happy.” Another said she found the service “amazing” when her TV broke at 5pm and she was watching her new one by 8.30pm the same day.
John Walden, Chief Executive, Home Retail Group (parent company of Argos) said: “As customers increasingly shop from online and mobile shopping channels, they are increasingly sensitive to the speed and cost of obtaining their products. Argos has always been known for convenience, and is uniquely positioned with its national network of stores and distribution centres to provide customers with the best options to fulfil their digital orders. We are pleased to introduce Fast Track Collection and Fast Track Delivery, which represents the fastest, cheapest and most convenient way for customers to purchase their goods online. We hope Fast Track will help UK consumers this Christmas and make their seasonal shopping speedier and easier than ever before.”
Bryan Roberts, Senior Vice-President & Knowledge officer for EMEA at Kantar Retail, said:
“Delivery has emerged as one of the key battlegrounds for UK retailers, as customers increasingly look for multiple delivery slots that allow them to shop how and when they want on the same day. In terms of customers being able to order online as late as 6pm and receive products on their doorstep that evening, Argos is showing its rivals a clean pair of heels with this new speedy nationwide service. While having the right offer at the right price will be as crucial as ever this Christmas, there will also be a sprint finish on the nation’s roads to deliver the goods the same or next day.”
Interested applicants for customer fulfilment drivers or seasonal jobs in Argos stores should apply as soon as possible at www.argoscareers.com
Argos was the first to launch click & collect 15 years ago and prior to that led the way with a UK-wide home delivery service in 1999.
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Notes to Editors
For more information or images, please contact media.relations@argos.co.uk or call 0845 120 4365.
Additional images and driver case studies are available on request.
About Argos
Argos is a leading UK digital retailer, offering around 50,000 products through www.argos.co.uk, its growing mobile channels, stores and over the telephone.
Argos continues to be the UK’s largest high street retailer online with around 121m customer transactions a year through its stores and over 900 million website and app visits in the 12 months to February 2015. Customers can take advantage of Argos’ convenient Check & Reserve service available through its network of 800 stores across the UK and Republic of Ireland.
In the financial year to February 2015, Argos sales were £4.1 billion and it employed some 29,000 people across the business.
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Argos Launch NEW Same Day Delivery Service.