When Sainsbury’s acquired Argos last year there were many ponderings as to what learnings from the supermarket would be transferred to the direct selling retailer and vice versa. It now appears that Sainsbury’s success on the greeting card front has beckoned a trial in some Argos stores.
While not an extensive trial, involving just 10 stores, the three month exercise sees free standing display units, each accommodating 24 designs of single everyday cards as well giftbags, introduced into the selected Argos branches
“The aim of the exercise is to gauge the appetite for greeting cards being sold in an Argos instore environment,” Carly Pearson, senior buyer of cards and wrap at Sainsbury’s told PG Buzz. “It is about looking at how we maximise the opportunities of the two retail brands,” she added.
Contrary to pre-conceived ideas, there is a huge cross over between the customer base of Sainsbury’s and Argos, but the two retail brands are mindful that the shopper may be in a different mindset when they go into Argos compared to a visit to do their shopping at Sainsbury’s.
The greeting card FSDU has been introduced in Argos branches in England, Scotland and Ireland, namely in its Ellesmere Port, Enfield, Guilford, Horsham, Inverurie, Irvine, Newtonabbey, Perry Bar, Shrewsbury, Thurrock stores.
