LONDON (Reuters) - Argos will offer same-day delivery to customers across Britain until late evening, which it said would make it the first retailer to provide the service seven days a week.
Deliveries will be available until 10 p.m., as parent company Home Retail (L:HOME), Britain's biggest household goods retailer, adapts to changing customer preferences by transforming Argos from a catalogue-based retailer into a digital-orientated business.
The firm is targeting higher sales from mobiles and tablets and has been seeking to make collections faster and easier.
Last month, however, Home Retail said sales at Argos stores open over a year fell 2.8 percent in the 13 weeks to Aug. 29, due to weak demand for electricals such as TVs and tablets.
Home Retail Chief Executive John Walden said on Tuesday the speed of the new "Fast Track" delivery service, which will cost 3.95 pounds ($6.00), and the range of products available would appeal to customers.
"We believe Fast Track is the next big innovation and brings shopping into the digital age for customers, allowing them to get up to 20,000 products in their hands faster than ever before," he said.
The company said it had created 3,300 driver jobs as part of the new service, including up to 1,000 which it is currently recruiting ahead of the busy Christmas period.