Sainsbury’s set to boost Argos digital roll-out

Sainsbury’s has unveiled the next stage of its growth plans for newly acquired Home Retail Group, including converting more Argos branches to a digital format and expanding Habitat.

The supermarket, which bought Home Retail for £1.4 billion last year to grow its non-food sales and fend off the likes of Amazon, will revamp another 60 Argos stores, allowing customers to order via tablets instead of catalogues.

Sainsbury’s has already installed 50 Argos concessions in its supermarkets and is planning to get to 250 within three years.

The company also said today it will put a further 10 mini-Habitat stores in branches during this financial year, taking the total to 17.

Argos chief executive John Rogers said: “The opening of our 50th Argos digital store just seven months after we acquired the company shows we are moving ahead at pace with our strategy.

“Our decision to transform 60 Argos stores by March next year moves our strategy on further.”

Rogers also called on the Government to “radically reform” business rates, telling the BBC they are “a very anachronistic tax in this very digital world”.