The funny thing about Argos is that it was originally not a store, but just a collection point for promotional giveaways. There was a promotional scheme called

The funny thing about Argos is that it was originally not a store, but just a collection point for promotional giveaways. There was a promotional scheme called "Green Shield Stamps", whereby shops gave the customer a number of stamps with each purchase, and then when you had enough stamps you could collect a gift from the catalogue. But eventually retailers decided that the promotion wasn't benefiting them enough, and pulled out - so the distribution network became a retailer instead. Unfortunately argos isn't very fast, so the customer experience is not necessarily better than a normal retailer. They seem to focus on lowest cost, which means that they skimp on operatives and waiting times can be long. And of course, it isn't automated!