News - Argos trials new stores, replacing catalogues with iPads

[SUMMONER]

Free WiFi

What's next? A coffee shop with seating area, so you can browse the Argos store app on your own device?

[Funkstar]

I'd say this is the beginning of a 'paperless' argos, buying a few tablets per store is likely cheaper than printing the hundreds of thousand catalogues they need.

I'm not sure about a paperless Argos, but I bet those in store laminated copies cost a few quid each.

[wasabi]

What's next? A coffee shop with seating area, so you can browse the Argos store app on your own device?

Will be interesting to see if they lock down the wifi to just the Argos site / app or leave wide open.

[jimbouk]

Will be interesting to see if they lock down the wifi to just the Argos site / app or leave wide open.

The internet access isn’t limited to just browsing Argos and related Home Retail Group sites.

TBH the prices on most things are pretty good so whilst you may save a pound or two getting something from Amazon, the fact that they've got you in store probably means you'll make the purchase.

I liked how empty the new store mockups looked. "Store redesign plans to reduce footfall by 50%".

[OilSheikh]

you can't get an Amazon catalogue.

And, that's why it's so difficult to search for things on Amazon !

[iamlorro]

That doesn't preclude Argos from producing a catalogue, although the quantity will reduce. Argos have a web site anyway. But catalogues will decline in time, lets face it, you can't get an Amazon catalogue.

Hopefully they'll be a little more competitive on price then... less stickers of price updates on the in store copies!

And, that's why it's so difficult to search for things on Amazon !

Imagine how much more the'd sell if search actually worked! ... I have given up and gone to ebay several times recently!!!

[aidanjt]

Imagine how much more the'd sell if search actually worked! ... I have given up and gone to ebay several times recently!!!

Really? I've never had any problems with Amazon's search. Punch in the product name and most of the time I've gotten good hits. Failing that, the manufacturer's product code or `site:www.amazon.co.uk this that and the other` in google is highly effective.

[Funkstar]

And if you want to limit the search results to items that will be fulfilled by Amazon (I know this is a complaint a lot of people have) you just need to tick the box on the left bar that filters for items eligible for Amazon Prime. Works even if you don't have Prime

[TheAnimus]

iPads are easy to code for. iPads are cheap for use as an epos machine. iPads can easily be locked into single app mode. iPads are proven for use in this type of environment. iPads are reliable. iPads are easily available. iPads are easy to manage. Software for one iPad will run the same on all iPads.

There's quite a few well established companies writing and selling epos software and systems with iPad options. Why iPads because of all of the above and because iPads have been available for a while now. There's plenty of enclosure options for them.

Basically I'm saying "They have previous"

Sure you could do the same with any 'decent' tablet but why go to that trouble when there's guys out there saying 'We've done a bucket loads of these before on iOS. You really want us to rewrite our software just so your android loving techno nerd doesn't have to sign off on something Apple. And no we're not putting any sort of Windows machine in front of house. We've had our arses bitten by BSODs one time to many. We don't go there"

^ this. An iPad is an iPad is an iPad. No problems with different drivers or modified code for different hardware or changes of hardware or optimising code for a specific piece of hardware. Each one is consistent - day in day out.

And I'd guess the price Argos (or their EPOS supplier) pays in bulk is considerably less than the price an individual would pay.

And I'd also doubt that Argos made the decision on a whim - it would have been researched to find the best solution for the business need, taking into account total cost of ownership including system through-life support costs.

OK. I'll start with this, that you have some valid points, but many very incorrect.

You can get a lot of mounts and cases. But providing remote updates is a ballache. Additionally two iPads are not identical, if you have written much software that relies on subtly of WiFi, it is often very different between two series which have identical names, the hardware inside is continuously refined / changed for supply problems. Now this isn't a problem for 90% of applications. In much the same way that running on a well abstracted platform wouldn't matter at all. I would have thought that Argos could happily do all this in HTML.

Now, you say bucket loads before on iOS, this is subjective, but iOS is kind of new, has poor tooling for dev/maint compared to others, such as embedded windows. Running a system which handles user-absent updates / detects failures is very hard on iOS.

Bulk pricing for iPads is very hard to get any real discount.

There is one thing. They've got a headline on Hexus that anyone (such as my parents) would understand.

This wouldn't be the case otherwise. iPad branding and advertising is by far the gold standard. It however is a bit like hoover, people use iPad to mean generic tablet.

The fact that people will instantly recognise what is going on, people who would be scared by such things as the current digital ordering kiosks.

[Funkstar]

An idle thought from what TheAnimus has said: I wonder how much Apple worry about "iPad" become a generic name and devaluing their brand? Same goes for app store I guess (did that law suite ever get settled?)

[kingpotnoodle]

Will be interesting to see if they lock down the wifi to just the Argos site / app or leave wide open.

Open, proxied a logged would be my bet - so they can see what you lookup, where you go online to compare prices etc