Argos customers can now use Google Assistant to shop for 20,000 products at more than 850 stores.

The Voice Shop service allows shoppers to reserve items for same-day pick up. Following confirmation on their smartphone, their order is ready for collection.

As well as placing reservations with voice command, customers can also ask Google to search for products and check availability. They can also find a store by simply saying “OK Google, Ask Argos to find my nearest store”.

As part of the initial launch phase, Argos will seek feedback from customers on the service so its technical team can develop the Voice Shop technology further to improve the experience.

Smart speaker growth

The Voice Shop service launches at a time when smart speakers are increasingly taking up residence in British homes. One in ten households in the UK now has a digital home assistant and voice shopping is forecast to be worth £3.5 billion in the UK by 2022. Sales of smart speakers have grown 151% year-on-year at Argos.

Six in ten sales at Argos now start online, yet 80% of orders are fulfilled in-store as shoppers take advantage of its Click & Collect and Fast Track services. 95% of people in the UK live within ten miles of an Argos store, so it makes sense that they would order via app, website or voice, to collect at their convenience from a nearby store rather than wait in for a delivery.

John Rogers, CEO at Argos, said: “Voice technology has the potential to revolutionise how we shop in the future. Digital home assistants have soared in popularity over the past year and people are increasingly looking to their smart devices to help with the smooth running of their lives.

“Argos is a digitally-led business at the forefront of technology and it’s really exciting that we are harnessing the simplicity of voice ordering with the convenience and popularity of Click & Collect to make our customers’ lives easier. We predict that the Voice Shop service will be a big hit and we will develop and refine the offer further as we get feedback from our customers.”