WE MAY BE losing another old friend to the advances of technology: the Argos catalogue.
Yesterday, a spokesperson for the retailer told the BBC that they were currently ‘testing demand’ for the catalogues in stores:
As increasing numbers of customers choose to shop with us online, for a limited period we are testing demand for the take-home catalogues in a small number of stores. Catalogues continue to be available in the vast majority of our stores for customers who want them.
Leafing through the Argos catalogue has been a hugely important activity to children since forever – here are some of our favourite memories of it.
There was some excitement when the catalogue arrived into the house
It’s here! It’s here! What wonders could possibly lie within this year? When would you be able to get your hands on it?
Your parents would give it to you to keep you quiet
You didn’t know that at the time, of course. But remember how absorbed you’d get? How you’d be content to pore over it for hours at a time? A parent’s idea of heaven, that is.
It would take you about three years to get past the hand blenders and the VCRs, but finally…
THE TOY SECTION. Land of hopes and dreams.
You circled the items that interested you the most
Mr Frosty! Baby Born and some extra Baby Born Clothes! Elaborate Hot Wheels setups! Oh, you could but wish for them.
And secretly plotted your Santa list way, way in advance
You knew it was too early, of course you did. But it was worth taking stock now and then so you weren’t overwhelmed when the time actually arrived.
You were introduced to the wonder that was THESE THINGS
Why would you go down the shop for a bar of chocolate when you could get a few tiny squares of it for 2p each in your own home? (The logic isn’t as sound in 2017.)
And got completely taken in by the bedrooms in the homewares section
Groovy Chick, Man United, desk/bunk bed situations, things that had to be inflated… you’d have it all.
You always thought about what it must be like to actually go to an Argos
When you eventually went, you weren’t disappointed. The tiny pencils, man.
And even now, flipping through the catalogue hasn’t lost its lustre
There’s a faint tinge of magic to it. Though now you’re more excited about the tellies and the hand blenders than the toy section. Well, a little bit more excited.
Stick around, Argos catalogue! We still love you.
