-Over a third (33%) of Irish consumers visit their high street/town centre frequently compared to 9.4% who frequently shop on tablet
– 2016 Irish consumers are bargain hunters and opportunistic – 63% love the thrill of finding a bargain
– It appears Irish mammies don’t know best with only 13% of people trusting their mother’s opinion when shopping
– Some of the top factors for Irish consumers when spending money include value for money and good customer service
– Two thirds of Irish homes contain an Argos catalogue
Milton Keynes , 2016-Jul-08 — /EPR Retail News/ — This year marks the 20th anniversary of Argos in the Republic of Ireland. The Irish shopper first experienced the catalogue giant on 21 January, 1996 when stores opened at Mary Street and Nutgrove in Dublin and Cruises Street in Limerick. 4 more stores followed that year. Over the years, 34 additional Argos stores opened across the country – much to the delight of the Irish consumer. Argos’ journey in the Republic of Ireland began as a brand new shopping experience for the Irish consumer and in the last 20 years, the brand has become a leading retailer in the toys, technology and home/furniture categories.
According to independent research commissioned by Argos and released today, Irish shoppers remain traditional, favouring a quality in store experience. The idea of popping into stores on high street/town centre is still a preferred way to shop in Ireland, with over a third (33%) of people surveyed visiting regularly, compared to 9.4% who shop often on their personal tablet and 16% who shop regularly on their mobile phone.
Irish people are warming to the concept of digital shopping as their interest in ‘Check and Reserve’ and online reviews demonstrate. However, 88.3% of people will choose in store shopping services. This cohort quoted viewing products in real life and visiting the high street to socialise with friends as reasons why they continue to favour in store. Interestingly, reserving products online but completing the purchase in store was also important to this group. This combined with the presence of the Argos catalogue in two thirds of Irish homes details that traditional services remain number one with Irish shoppers.
When choosing where to spend their money, the top factors Irish consumers consider are:
– Good level of customer service in store
– Ability to view products in store
– Quick and convenient service
– Value for money
– Large selection of products on special offer
Whilst the Argos brand seems to be ticking all the boxes and is trusted by the Irish consumer, the research has revealed some interesting insights around Irish people’s trust in each other. When it comes to shopping, mum doesn’t always know best with only 13% stating that they would trust their mum to help them. Similarly, only 17% admit that impulse purchasing drives their shopping habits, again suggesting that Irish consumers may know exactly what they want!
Andy McClelland, Operations Manager, Argos Republic of Ireland said “Argos has been at the forefront of Irish retail for 20 years, serving and responding to the needs of the Irish consumer. The research we have revealed today details that we know the Irish consumer inside out and have done since our arrival here in 1996. We understand the Irish consumer’s desire to research their purchases well in advance and we champion their innate love of a bargain.
Our catalogues are still a favourite in Irish homes and in 2015, over 1 million Argos catalogues were sought by Irish consumers. It is also evident that our services such as Check and Reserve and Online Reviews are very important to the Irish consumer with over a third (37%) of those surveyed reading reviews online before making a purchase and similarly, close to three in ten people (29%) appreciate being able to reserve a product online before picking up in store.
It has been a pleasure for Argos to serve the Irish shopper for the last twenty years and grow to be a leader in the toys, technology and home and furniture categories here in Ireland. We look forward to continuing to innovate in response to their needs.”
The research has detailed that the Irish consumer in 2016 is a bargain hunter and opportunistic when they spend their money – 63% love the thrill of finding a bargain. Women appear to be the biggest bargain hunters, with 72% saying that they love the thrill of finding a bargain, compared to around half (53%) of Irish men.
When it comes to the increasingly popular Black Friday Sale phenomenon, men are leading the way. The research indicates that this calendar shopping day is much more popular with Irish men, 30% of men have bought tech from Argos in Black Friday sales in the last two years compared to just 20% of women. Over a third (37%) have bought products from Argos in the last two years on a Black Friday sale indicating that in-store offers still lead the way with Irish shoppers.
On average, people in Ireland own 15 products from Argos – including the home & furniture range as well as technology, garden, toys and sports & leisure detailing that Argos is still top of its game, 20 years on. This is unsurprising when we consider that Argos provides a product range of over 25,000 items.
Contact:
Argos:
t: 0845 120 4365
e: media.relations@argos.co.uk
Source: Argos