Argos is getting a makeover - but can it attract new shoppers?

Do you still shop at Argos? And if so, what do you think of it?

The chain has been a fixture of the British High Street for more than 50 years and is still used by around half of all UK households.

But it has struggled to thrive in recent years amid fierce competition from online giants like Amazon, with sales stagnating.

Its owner Sainsbury's recently announced it was selling the chain for a lot less than it paid for it just 10 years ago.

But the new owners say they see "real opportunities" for growth, including opening new standalone shops. Can they succeed where Sainsbury's did not?

When the BBC spoke to shoppers in central London this week, the retailer seemed to divide opinion.

Some, like Enrico, 28, said they loved the convenience of same-day collection, and felt nostalgic towards a brand which unlocked fond childhood memories.

"It was a great way of doing your Christmas shopping," he told the BBC. "We'd go into our local Argos and we'd get the massive print catalogue."

Argos's encyclopedia-like catalogue was once dubbed "the laminated book of dreams", but the company stopped printing it in 2021.

At one point it was Europe's most widely printed publication.

For others, though, Argos has not moved with the times and is at odds with the seemingly endless online choice.

"I feel Amazon is a lot easier because it gets delivered straight to your door with Prime," said Emily, 22, adding that she only used Argos to buy appliances, not "day to day" items.

Jack Cunningham, 26, from Kent often uses Argos to pick up things when he's at work in London.

The scientist said the big draw was convenience: "If I need something in the moment and can't wait for delivery, normally I'll get it in Argos.

"You can order something really cheap on Amazon, and it might come and be the wrong size," he added.

For years, commentators have asked whether Argos could build a business to take on Amazon, the biggest online seller in the UK.

But while Argos has invested a lot in digital, it never quite happened. It made £4.1bn of sales last year, compared with £32bn for Amazon in the UK.

Argos does, however, offer something its online rivals don't - a large network of stores, concessions in Sainsbury's shops, and collection points that mean customers can click and collect on the same day, free of charge.

Retail analyst Catherine Shuttleworth thinks Argos could capitalise on this, along with its reputation as a trusted British brand.

However, she thinks it needs to improve its app so it can compete with online players like Amazon, Shein and Temu.

"I think if you asked people to name five High Street retailers, they wouldn't name Argos," she added. "It's almost about reminding people it exists."

Argos hasn't been front of mind for Georgia, 27, for ages. She thinks it is outdated and not for her. "It's very old school isn't it? I'm more of an Amazon shopper."

Argos could also do better on customer service, thinks Hugh Radojev, editor of Retail Week.

"It's not an exciting place to shop, or what it used to be for kids around Christmas. Under a new ownership you'd hope they could get it back into the zeitgeist."

Since 2012, Argos has gone from having 845 standalone shops to around 200 - although it also has opened about 450 shop-within-shops in Sainsbury's stores.

This was seen as a smart move, allowing Argos to tap into Sainsbury's large customer base. Argos will keep all of those concessions after the takeover, and customers will continue to get Nectar loyalty card points for all their purchases.

But Nicole, 40, an Argos fan from South London, says she wants the chain to expand further.

"It would be nice if they could go in other supermarkets like Tesco," she added.

Argos's new owners have ruled out deals with rival supermarkets, but they do plan to forge other "partnerships" and open new standalone stores.

The group, called Swift Partners, includes several seasoned retail veterans, one of them a former boss of Co-operative Group. Retail analyst Richard Hyman thinks this ownership will be a better fit than Sainsbury's, which was focused on selling food.

But he is sceptical about how much Argos can grow in such a "tough retail market".

Shuttleworth is more optimistic, saying with a "ruthless focus" Argos can thrive and even put Amazon under pressure.

"Argos completely revolutionised the way we shop when they came out and they have a history of being different," she said. "If I was marketing director I would be thinking about how to bottle that for 2027."

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