Argos is opening up another front in the fulfilment war by launching nationwide same-day home delivery for £3.95 an order.

Argos is launching same day home deliveries

  • Argos is offering nationwide same-day delivery on 20,000 products
  • Customers pay £3.95 an order for home delivery, while in-store collections are free
  • Argos has hired 3,300 drivers and leased 800 vans to roll-out the service

The retailer is offering four delivery windows throughout the day and a customer who orders online as late as 6pm will receive the order by 10pm.

Argos launches the Fast Track service today with delivery windows from 7am-10am, 10am-1pm, 2pm-6pm and 7pm-10pm, which will be available seven days a week for 364 days a year.

It has hired 3,300 drivers and leased 800 vans to deliver a 20,000-strong range of products from 150 of its larger hub stores to customers’ homes within the time frame.

Fulfilment ‘battleground’

John Walden, chief executive of Argos owner Home Retail, said: “Fulfilment has become a battleground as online and high street retailers have volleyed a confusing array of options into the market – things such as next-day delivery or next-day collection networks, or city couriers running around or even people charging fees for collecting product from a store.”

Walden claims the Fast Track delivery service will be available to all but the most remote areas, meaning 96% of the country will have access to it.

Customers will be informed of when their delivery is due to arrive through a text message or phone call.

The service will also include same-day in-store collection for the 20,000 products, which make up the “lion’s share” of Argos sales. The retailer has a total of 50,000 products in its full online range.

Argos’s in-store collection service is free – in contrast to John Lewis, which has begun charging for its click-and-collect orders.

Shopping revolution

Walden said: “Today we are revolutionising online shopping – we are the first retailer to offer same-day store collection and home delivery for 20,000 products across the whole UK.”

He added that Fast Track is being introduced as a result of customer demand rather than a direct response to Amazon Prime Now, which offers deliveries within one hour to customers living In London and Birmingham who pay a £79 annual membership fee.

He added: “Amazon sees the same challenge we see – customers are increasingly purchasing online and wanting the best, most convenient fulfilment method.

“We are convinced our offer is far superior to any in the marketplace. It is a national offer with 20,000 lines and you don’t have to join a £100 membership service to get it.”

Walden said Argos was able to offer the service at just £3.95 as a result of the development of its hub and spoke distribution network, which involves one large hub store restocking smaller stores nearby.