Argos plans shopping channel

Argos is planning to launch its own-brand digital satellite television shopping channel, which will also be broadcast in store to its retail customers.

It is thought that the channel will, like Thomas Cook’s travel channel, be broadcast as free-to-air. The move will mark the first time a high-street retailer has launched a branded home-shopping channel in the UK.

At present, there are about 20 home-shopping channels available free on the digital satellite platform.

Argos is understood to have approached a number of manufacturers of electrical products to pay for ten, 20and 30-minute strands on the channel to demonstrate their products. The channel is expected to broadcast up to 20 hours a day. An Argos spokeswoman refused to comment.

Sainsbury’s and Boots have both had their own TV channel ventures, branded Taste and Wellbeing respectively, but these were run as conventional TV channels, with associated programming and production costs, and have since been closed.

Argos has already experimented with running an interactive TV service on Sky Active and on Telewest Broadband’s cable platform, but pulled the plug in January.

Argos recently reviewed its &£20m advertising account and is understood to have appointed Euro RSCG Wnek Gosper.