Argos

I love Argos. This location is not one of the large locations but still usually has a good amount of stock available. It’s also dead handy being right off the Jervis LUAS stop in the Jervis shopping centre. The queues outside of peak times are normally very short and the staff are lovely as well.

What I like about this store /​service is the simplistic process of viewing a shops entire iventory in the catalogue book or on your pc, being able to check the stock, being able to reserve an item, and most importantly for me– they have a great returns policy. The piece of furniture I bought did not fit in our bedroom, returned item, and I got a full refund, straight away, no questions asked when I gave them receipt

seems like the stock is always in. and on the rare occasion its not there’s loads of stations to look up what you want and choose an alternative. shops are always clean, plenty of tills so ive hardly ever queued and there is sometimes special offers in the store that are not in the book. staff are quick and efficient. they’re helpful but not friendly, but for this kind of shop that’s not a flaw. you get in, pick what you want, pay for it, wait for a short time (ive never waited more the four minutes), then leave. its not the kinda shop you want or expect chit-​chat in.

I hate argos so much… i hate that they etice you with their amazing selection and amazing prices and just when you think you have everything sorted you get attacked on all side by those other people that are capitolising on the great deals… and before you know it you are swimming in a sea of people and everyone is struggling for the last George Foreman Grill.
Its hell… its called Argos… but really its just hell

If you go on a Saturday, you will have to fight your way to a catalogue, as the world and its child in a buggy will be there too. It’s also a good idea to check out the product you are looking for in a traditional shop beforehand, as you won’t get the chance here. Argos by its very nature eschews the prodding of goods, as they are all hidden away in some vast (and I assume subterranean) basement.
Once you have found what you are looking for, you type the product code into the proto Speak and Spell device beside your catalogue — 3 in stock! — and then write it on the provided slip of paper. After this, queue up to pay and in my case get upsold insurance at the cash desk. Finally, you take your ticket to the product retrieval point, which resembles the holding bay for items on the Generation Game conveyor belt. Eventually, they will call your number and you will unaccountably feel like you have won a prize.

being a non-​native, it’s been quite a challenge finding places to buy the things i need (i moved here with my husband from teh america nearly a year ago). luckily i had an irish friend turn me on to Argos. at first i was like «are you for real? a catalog ordering system still exists here?» and in my mind i was transported to the mid 80s back in the states going to [i wish i could remember the name of the stores] with my family and choosing things from pages in a book and wondering what joys they would be once i received and opened the package. but at least they had showrooms where you could poke at the items before choosing to share a life with them. argos to me is a bit strange but it really hasn’t stopped me leaving there in glee because i was able to just walk in, flip to page 358 in the catalog, find the exact air mattress pump i was convinced i’d never ever in a billion years be able to find in ireland, pay for it and leave. all in under like 5 minutes. awesome!
the last time i was in there, they had installed these kiosk things where you can now punch in the convenient item code and pay for it without actually queuing or putting up with surly sales staff. as an added bonus, it will suggest related products you might want with your current selection. for instance, with my air pump thing, it suggested a 4 pack of D batteries (which i needed!) and a couple of carrying bags (why?). seems they’re bridging the gap between 1980’s america and the 21^st century. (nobody shoot me if you guys invented the catalog ordering system. i’m new here, remember :))

Argos is another cheap way to furnish your home. Like its competition (large department stores), it stocks everything related to the kitchen, bedroom, office and back garden. Because you order it from a massive catalogue and need to assemble it yourself, Argos gets away with charging you a fraction of the cost you’d pay elsewhere.
An experience at Argos in Jervis is relatively dull. The room is small but packed with people. You need to write down the ordering number, queue at a desk to pay and finally wait for your number to be called at the ordering desk. There isn’t much human interaction and almost no customer service.
The fun of shopping at Argos really starts at home where you can examine the catalogue’s merchandise.