Who’s nicked all the pens???? (Argos)

Member Name: annette_tr9

Product:	Argos
Date:	22/07/02 (57 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: good idea, can decide what you want before you get there by taking a catalogue home

Disadvantages: items often not in stock, big queues

Argos, brilliant idea really. Not much of a shop floor so not so much to fill, tidy. Also less chance of having your entire range stolen which is sadly a big risk these days.

Buying something from Argos should be very easy. First you decide what you want to buy (this is probably the hardest part). You can do this at home with a catalogue or in store where they have catalogues you can use on tables. Then you fill out a slip with the stock number of the item you want. You can check stock levels with a magic machine they have near the catalogues. Just type in the number and it will tell you if they have any in stock. When you have decided on something that is in stock (this may take a while) you take your filled in slip up to the counter and pay. You then get a ticket with a number on and from now on it’s a bit like bingo. You will get about twenty people standing around the collection desk all waiting for their number to be called. You will be standing here for well over 15 minutes. When someone gets their number called they get all excited like they have won something and dash up to the collection desk to receive their goods and get their winning ticket (receipt) stamped to say they have received everything.

Problems you will probably encounter:
Some little idiot has nicked all of the pens and you will need to spend ten minutes searching through your bag for the one that has leaked all over the bottom of it and not been used for six months.
They will have one of your Hungry Hippos game in stock but by the time you fill everything in and get through the payment queue someone else has already bought it.
You pay and are waiting for twenty minutes at the collection desk before someone explains to you that their stock levels were wrong and they haven’t got any.
The only one left is broken.
You manage to get your item all in one piece and then find out it’s that big that you can’t fit it in your car
or that heavy that you can’t carry it to your car.

So, that’s how to shop at Argos. Christmas is the best when you get everyone fighting for the last of everything. My Argos never has anything in stock, ever. They are understaffed and you feel sorry for the staff there who are all running around like headless chickens (but without wings).

The layout of the store is ok but you never have enough catalogues to look at in store, you always have to perch in a corner with one you have picked up from the rack (or floor depending on how busy it’s been and how many people have just thrown them back).

Queues are likely unless you go first thing in the morning. And it isn’t just one queue, first you will need to queue to pay and then you need to queue to get your stuff.

Overall Argos has a brilliant idea, just needs a little more practice!

Summary: