Voice tech can revolutionise shopping, Argos

Argos has launched a voice shopping service, enabling customers to reserve 20,000 products at 850 stores using a Google Home smart speaker.

As well as placing reservations, customers can also ask Google to search for products and check availability and find a store. As part of the initial launch phase, Argos will be seeking feedback so that its technical team can develop the technology further.

Six in ten sales at Argos now start online, yet 80% of orders are fulfilled in-store via its Click & Collect and Fast Track services. John Rogers, CEO at Argos, says: “Voice technology has the potential to revolutionise how we shop in the future. Digital home assistants have soared in popularity over the past year and people are increasingly looking to their smart devices to help with the smooth running of their lives.”

“Argos is a digitally-led business at the forefront of technology and it’s really exciting that we are harnessing the simplicity of voice ordering with the convenience and popularity of Click & Collect to make our customers’ lives easier. We predict that the voice shop service will be a big hit and we will develop and refine the offer further as we get feedback from our customers.”