Milton Keynes, UK, 2016-Jul-19 — /EPR Retail News/ — Leading retailer Argos launches its new AW16 range to shoppers on Saturday 16 July, offering over 60,000 products in catalogue and online, and featuring must-have gifts from top brands including Apple Watch, Fitbit Blaze and Alta, virtual reality gaming with Playstation VR plus great deals including Canon SX420 bridge cameras and TomTom Sat Nav.
Argos is also offering customers new products from a wide range of exclusive brands within furniture and homewares. Heart of House, now with over 1,100 lines, goes from strength to strength with stunning new collections including the solid oak Kent range and a re-assuring 3 year guarantee on all furniture. New to launch this year, The Collection offers superior quality and great design, much of which has been developed by Argos’ own in house product development team.
The new range offers around 8,000 new lines and is available at www.argos.co.uk. where customers can check stock availability at their local store and reserve items for free, pre-pay and collect in store in as little as 60 seconds or for ultimate convenience have delivered to home or work the same day across 95% of the UK.
As we head into the Christmas season, shoppers are expected to go online to ensure they bag a perfect gift for their loved ones. Online shopping at Argos represents almost 50% of sales, and mobile commerce continues to grow, now representing around 30% of Argos’ total sales¹.
Stephen Vowles, Marketing Director, Argos said: “The retail revolution shows no signs of slowing down and we anticipate customers’ expectations for choice and convenience will be greater than ever this year. Our mission is to ensure customers can get hold all of the brands they love, as quickly and easily as possible. Over 95 per cent of the UK population has access to up to 20,000 items for same day delivery via Fast Track, which offers four convenient slots seven days a week right to their doorstep – something no one else can offer.
“For larger items, we have the option of next day delivery on many lines. I am more excited than ever by what we have on offer this Autumn / Winter.”
Key highlights from the new AW16 range include:
TECHNOLOGY
The wearable technology market has rocketed in recent years, as Brits continue to enjoy tracking and improving their activity levels. New this season is the Fitbit Blaze, with built in work out routines and GPS function, and the Fitbit Alta which has new interface and movement functions.
The Summer of Sport has increased demand for larger televisions and new ranges are available for Autumn / Winter, as more Smart TVs and Ultra HD content become available. The LG range of TVs have up to four times the number of pixels of Full HD, for stunning colour depth and picture quality, and are available up to 75”. Sony’s X83 4K Ultra HD Android TV which analyses multiple frames so that images can be sharpened and refined in real time and is available from only £619.
Video gaming systems are embracing Virtual Reality. October 2016 sees the launch of Playstation VR, compatible with the PS4 console, with new VR only games becoming available. Gaming systems that also incorporate ‘toys to life’ will be popular, including Amiibo, Lego Dimensions, Disney Infinity and Skylanders Superchargers.
A new report from consulting firm Strategy Analytics said that for the first time ever, more smart watches have been shipped worldwide than Swiss watches (Source: Fortune: Feb 2016). Apple Watch is a real customer favourite offering fantastic design with instant notifications that helps you measure your workouts, track activity and encourages healthy routines.
Finally, the Retro Revival audio market is exciting, as we embrace cassette players, record players and boom-boxes and revive the sounds of the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s, all available within the Bush and Alba ranges. The Classic radio from Bush is available exclusively at Argos in various colours. Advances in technology make products such as these highly desirable as they embrace vintage design whilst delivering a premium sound quality.
TOYS
Toys this year have truly moved on, with more sophisticated tech, realistic life-like functions and up-to-date pop culture references. Argos has a great range of top toys for Christmas this year, including the Fisher Price Codeapillar, which will inspire a new generation of super-coders, to the SelfieMic, where wannabe pop stars and lip synch-ers can create their own music videos. Also expected to be popular is the Tiny Treasures Baby Doll, which smells as sweet as a newborn, Zoomer Chimp, who performs over 100 tricks and BB-8, part of the extensive Star Wars range.
Chad Valley’s DesignaFriend doll range, exclusive to Argos, continues to prove popular and new friend Tiffany comes with dazzling evening dress, sparkly glitter sandals and pretty clutch bag. She even has an extra outfit and a catwalk.
Nerf continues to be popular. In a recent survey conducted for Argos, a quarter or adults said they enjoyed playing with their kids blasters! New this season is the Battlescout, with a mounted ‘action cam’ that records battles, exclusive to Argos.
Lego continues to prove popular, and this year is no exception. Expect the Lego City Volcano to be popular with scientists big and small, alongside ranges from Lego Friends, Lego Marvel Super Heroes and Lego Star Wars.
HOME
Homewares and furniture brand, Heart of House, available at Argos, offers more than 1,100 stylish products to choose from, are perfectly in keeping with the trends of the season. In time for Christmas, there will also be a Heart of House range of luxury Christmas decorations.
Hero lines include a stylish drinks trolley for £54.99, the Oakington coffee and dining tables from £129.99 and the Darcy floral chair for £249.99, which is available with matching footstool.
Exclusive to Argos, the ColourMatch range offers more than 800 affordable homeware and accessories in 18 colourways and designs. Highlights include the two tone 12-piece dinner set for only £17.99 and the Iso cushion, just £7.99.
Newly introduced for Autumn/Winter 2016, The Collection by Argos has launched with a two year guarantee on all Furniture, with many products designed in house. Look out for the Twyford floor and table lamps from £24.99, the Aurelie rose gold 4’6” bedframe for £229.99, and the stylish nest of three tables in bamboo for £69.99.
Retro for the home includes the Bush Classic Fridge-Freezer in a range of colours including cream, red, black and blue.
OTHER MUST-HAVES FOR AUTUMN/WINTER
Flicking through the new range, there are some other products that will excite customers as the temperatures get colder. Heated fur throws from Relaxwell by Dreamland will ensure you stay cozy while maintaining the glamour with new ranges in hair care from Nicky Clarke, Lee Stafford and Glamoriser.
For the home, don’t forget to select from a range of cordless vacuum cleaners including Animal from Dyson and a range from Bosch – vital for keeping control of those needles under the Christmas tree.
To keep the fun alive, there are some great new gift ideas including virtual reality glasses, the next big thing in immersive entertainment, making you feel you are part of the game. In photography, instants from Polariod Snap and Fujifilm Instax are perfect for capturing and sharing special moments – and then sharing them again on Instagram!
Argos is a top jewellery retailer, and our new in-house collection, Enchanted, is sure to delight, while Accents is a new selection of sterling silver jewellery launched by Hot Diamonds.
TOP VALUE DEALS
Canon Powershot SX420 (black) 413/3571 Save £70 £129.99
Vax Cordless Slim Pet Vacuum Cleaner 554/6112 Save £100 £149.99
HP 15.6” Intel Pentium 4GB 1TB Laptop (red) 544/1482 Save £50 £299.99
Raxor E100S Electric Scooter with seat (blue) 390/9957 Save £20 £139.99
Barbie Complete Playset 425/2579 Half Price £49.99
Philips 4K Ultra HD Smart Ambilight TV (49”) 528/8906 Save £200 £499.99
Bush Wooden DAB Radio 553/5927 Save £20 £29.99
Citizen Men’s Eco-Drive Chronograph Watch 538/5878 Under Half Price £129.99
¹Home Retail Groups’ latest trading statement covering the 13 weeks from 28 February to 28 May 2016
About Argos
Argos is a leading UK digital retailer, offering around 60,000 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 120 M customer transactions a year through its stores and over 975 million website and app visits in the 12 months to February 2016. Customers can take advantage of Argos’ convenient Check & Reserve service available through its network of 842 stores and concessions across the UK and Republic of Ireland.
In the financial year to February 2016, Argos sales were £4.1 billion and it employed some 30,000 people across the business.
For more information, please contact the Argos Press Office on:
0845 120 4365
email: media.relations@argos.co.uk.
Follow us on Twitter at @argos_PR.
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- Argos launches its new Autumn / Winter 16 offering
Source: Argos