Sainsbury’s share price: Group to launch Argos click-and-collect service

J Sainsbury (LON:SBRY) has unveiled plans to launch an Argos click-and-collect service in 100 convenience stores, Retail Week has reported. The move comes as the blue-chip grocer continues its integration of the business following the acquisition of Home Retail Group about a year ago.

Sainsbury’s share price has been subdued in London in today’s session, having lost 1.31 percent to 233.00p as of 13:33 BST. The decline is in line with losses in the broader London market, with the benchmark FTSE 100 index currently standing 1.11 percent lower at 7,319.57 points. The group’s shares have lost nearly 3.5 percent of their value over the past year, and are down by some six percent in the year-to-date.

Industry magazine Retail Week reported today that Sainsbury’s was set to launch a click-and-collect service at its Argos business, allowing shoppers to pick up Argos and Tu clothing orders placed online. The initiative, expected to be completed this year, follows a successful trial of the scheme in six Sainsbury’s Local stores.

“As customer shopping habits change, people increasingly want flexibility, speed and choice. More customers than ever are ordering online and choosing to collect from a store, which makes their lives easier and frees up their valuable time,” the blue-chip grocer’s chief executive Mike Coupe commented, as quoted by Retail Week. “Offering the Argos click-and-collect service in Sainsbury’s Local stores makes it even more convenient for our customers to buy our products.”

The move comes after the blue-chip supermarket recently said that it was trialling a 30-minute click-and-collect service, allowing customers to order shopping via Sainsbury’s Chop Chop app, and pick it up from store just 30 minutes later. The trial marks the latest salvo in the ongoing industry war which has seen German discounters Aldi and Lidl, as well as e-commerce giant Amazon erode profits at the UK’s ‘Big Four’ supermarkets.  

As of 13:49 BST, Tuesday, 29 August, J Sainsbury plc share price is 233.00p.