Argos online arm steps up e-mail usage

Argos’s multi-channel clothing and home furnishings catalogue, Argos Additions, is increasing its use of e-mail as a way of drawing customers to its website, argosadditions.com.

The move follows the initial results of Argos’s trial of ContactMail, an e-mail application from database management solutions provider Experian. Working with Experian, Argos Additions has issued more than 1 million permission-based e-mails to customers on its database, informing them of seasonal offers and deals, as well as promoting the latest products in the Argos Additions clothing range.

ContactMail is supplied on an application service provider (ASP) basis, which means it is operated by Experian rather than Argos. It is used to deploy campaigns for both Argos Additions and GUS Home Shopping.

Argos Additions e-commerce controller Leon Quinn says: “To present a consistent message, it is crucial that our e-mail campaigns dovetail with our offline customer relationship management strategies. ContactMail represents the ideal platform to achieve this goal.”

Experian head of e-commerce Phil Singh says many consumer-facing brands are now embracing e-mail technology to maintain regular and cost-effective communication with their customers: “We are witnessing major growth in the permission-based e-mail deployment market.”