Argos is an institution. It’s as British as the Queen and as reliable as Trump tweeting something stupid and offensive before the week is out. It’s iconic, a beacon of commerce that’s outlasted Tammy Girl and Woolworths (RIP). In part, its resilience and retail fortunes have to do with its catalogues. Like a wonder of the modern world, they tantalise with high-tech electronics, state-of-the-art gizmos and, of course, toys.
But today we have some desperately sad news, that beloved buying bible is no longer printing. That's right, Argos has announced the end of its catalogues after 50 glorious years. Why? Because - shock - everyones shopping online now.
'Just as our customers’ tastes have changed over the years, so have their shopping habits. We are seeing an increasing shift towards digital shopping, using our mobile app, website and in-store browsers,' Mark Given, chief marketing officer at Sainsbury’s, which owns Argos said in a statement. 'Closing the book on the catalogue will help us focus on delivering exciting and inspiring digital shopping experiences to meet the changing needs of our customers.'
Since the 1973 launch of the bi-annual catalogue, over 1bn copies have been printed and it was once Europe's most widely-printed publication. However, the last decade has seen the number of printed copies drop from 10million to around 3million with their most recent printing 3.9million in January.
It will prove sourly missed by the public and celebrities alike, having plugged products from the likes of Tess Daly, Holly Willoughby and Emma Bunton. In fact, Alan Carr once even chose it as the book he would take away during his Radio 4 Desert Island Discs episode. A national treasure in it's own right, we can't help but feel the same nostalgic love for the Argos catalogue.
Looking back, the catalogues from years gone by are like unspoiled time capsules that transport us back to a simpler time. Reflecting on the 1999 Argos tome, it’s like reading back through our (still unfulfilled) childhood Christmas list. Remember easy bake ovens? And, Baby Borns? In celebration of our lost beloved, take a walk through memory lane and see what your younger self yearned for…
Debrief Argos 1999 Catalogue
1 of 141. Easy Bake Oven
What says a young girl constrained by the gendering of their sex than a desperate desire to be the sole proprietor of a kitchen tool.
2 of 142. Discman
SO high-tech for 1999.
3 of 143. The Way Things Worked
You knew you were a cool kid when you had this series before the school library did.
4 of 144. Pocahontas Costume
In the woke light of 2017, it's likely that this would be perceived as cultural appropriation :/
5 of 145. Mr Frosty Ice Cream Factory
Never trust a child that makes their own ice.
6 of 146. Baby Born
On reflection, what was possibly fun about having a doll that constantly needed feeding and then and weed everywhere?
7 of 147. CD Stereo
On reflection, it makes sense why our parents wouldn't buy us a portable radio, because really what self-respecting adult can listen to B*Witched blaring at top volume all hours of the day?
8 of 146. Themed Bedsheets
Making sleepovers better since 1999.
9 of 148. Polly Pocket Mansion
Fact: Polly Pocket had a nicer house than anything available on Help To Buy
10 of 149. GameBoy
More advanced than an electronic Disney game, less hardcore than a PlayStation. Otherwise, known as the dream.
11 of 1410. Cosmetics Collection
It's super creepy for a child to have a bigger make-up collection than me, a 28-year-old beauty editor.
12 of 1411. Play Till
Who else learnt basic arithmetic on one of these fake tills?
13 of 1412. Spinning Sindy
Seriously, what was more fun than a doll that could also be used as a weapon?
14 of 1413. Educational Electronics
When we were young enough to be fooled into thinking that learning could be fun as long as it came with an electronic accessory.
All images courtesy of Retro Mash
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