Argos to ‘close the book’ on its print catalogue after 47 years

Increasing shift towards online shopping behind move, says store

The high street is to lose a half-centuryold fixture with the announcement Argos is to stop producing its catalogue.

The thick book, produced biannually, has been a staple of shoppers using the store’s pay and collect system.

At one stage it was thought to have had a presence in three-quarters of the UK’s homes.

However, the increasing shift to online shopping habits has caused Argos to announce the catalogue’s printing will cease.

The retailer said online shopping offers “greater convenience” than flicking through its print catalogue.

More than 1 billion copies of the catalogue have been printed since its launch in 1973 and at its height, it was Europe’s most widely printed publication, with only the Bible in more homes across the UK.

Over the last decade the number of printed copies of each edition has dropped from about 10 million to about 3m.

The most recent one, printed in January before the coronavirus pandemic hit, ran to 3.9m.

Mark Given, chief marketing officer at Sainsbury’s, which owns Argos, said: “Over the decades, the Argos catalogue has charted the nation’s changing tastes and trends in everything from must-have toys to the latest gadgets and devices.

“Just as our customers’ tastes have changed over the years, so have their shopping habits.

“We are seeing an increasing shift towards digital shopping, using our mobile app, website and in-store browsers.

“Closing the book on the catalogue will help us focus on delivering exciting and inspiring digital shopping experiences to meet the changing needs of our customers.”

Picture: Darrell Benns. Writing Santa lists has just got more difficult after Argos announced it is to ditch its catalogue.