Sainsbury’s plans Argos presence in all larger stores
Sainsbury's chief executive Mike Coupe has confirmed plans to put an Argos in every one of its large stores.
The supermarket completed a £1.4bn takeover of Home Retail group, which owns retailers including Argos and Habitat, in September in a deal that it hoped would expand its online offering and increase its footprint in the UK.
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It had been widely expected that Sainsbury's would insert Argos outlets in its stores but speaking to reporters today, Coupe confirmed an initiative to have a presence in every larger store.
"Over time we'd envisage that there won't be a single Sainsbury's – with the exception of some very small convenience shops – where you won't either be able to see an Argos concession or be able to 'click & collect' items within four hours (of ordering)," said Coupe.
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The purchase of Home Retail means Sainsbury's now sells more than 90,000 non-food products, trading from about 2,000 UK stores. These comprise 601 supermarkets, 782 convenience stores, 739 Argos stores including concessions, plus three Habitat stores.
The group plans to have about 30 Argos digital concessions in Sainsbury's stores by Christmas and three Habitat concessions.