Argos to roll out digital receipts across all stores

UK retailer Argos is now offering digital receipts to all customers who make purchases in its UK and Ireland stores.

UK high street retailer Argos will offer all customers in its 750 UK and Ireland stores the option of an emailed receipt, allowing consumers to store a permanent digital record of their purchases and warranties from the company.

The move comes after a trial in a select number of stores was undertaken earlier this year, and Argos views it as a service that can enhance customer convenience and help its marketing team better target shoppers via digital campaigns.

Argos's launch of digital receipts, which is being run in association with technology company eReceipts, is part of a wider business transformation plan that aims to make the organisation a digital retail leader. Other aspects of this strategy have included the provision of eBay pick-up points in its stores and trials of mobile QR code technology across parts of its estate.

Emailed receipts sent by eReceipts currently achieve open rates in excess of 70%, according to the tech company, which Argos will look to capitalise on, potentially by including promotions to related items on any follow-up correspondence it has with shoppers.

Stephen Vowles, marketing director at Argos, commented: "We are very excited about this initiative, especially as trials have been well received by colleagues and customers alike.

"Customers love it because they feel reassured that they have a record of purchases without cluttering up their wallets, and colleagues appreciate the benefits which enable them to provide an even more convenient service to customers."

Many retailers this publication has spoken to in recent months have suggested that understanding how their shoppers interact both in-store and online is a key area of focus – and digital receipts can be one method of boosting their knowledge about such customer behaviour.

In an interview with Essential Retail earlier this year, Kiddicare.com co-founder and technology entrepreneur Scott Weavers-Wright said that if Amazon had a store portfolio it would ask for email addresses at the point of sale, "because you can't let thousands and thousands of transactions go through a day and not have any idea who bought these items".

Neville Wright, co-founder of Kiddicare.com, sits on the board of eReceipts, and the company is chaired by Lord Ian MacLaurin.

Source : Ben Sillitoe - Essential Retail
www.essentialretail.com/news/article/54732320a7555-argos-offers-digital-receipts-at-all-uk-ireland-stores