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Argos, the largest general-goods retailer in the UK, has conquered the high street and is now venturing onto the television network with its own Sky channel.

The king of catalogues, which now has more than 800 stores in the UK and the Republic of Ireland, has seen a decline in sales as more and more consumers are turning to e-shopping. Argos already has its own online store which offers more than 30,000 products. But with year on year sales dropping by 8.1 per cent, it made the decision to add television to its fleet.

Argos launched its 24/7 Sky channel on 15 June to channel 642. The channel is filmed live for four hours each day, and for eight each weekend. Viewers can purchase the items and then collect them at their local Argos branch. The retailer owns many brands that it stocks including Argos jewellery (formerly Elizabeth Duke), Chad Valley and Bush.

The Argos shopping channel is not yet set in stone, and will be trialled for a year. And in an effort to cover every avenue, the retailer is also embracing social networking platforms and has more than 11400 followers. Its official @Argos_Online Twitter account posted a tweet on 17 June: 'Head & Argos are giving you the chance to win a tennis racquet signed by Andy Murray.' And these exciting offers are a further way to draw people to its site.

The branch stores that offer items for almost instant pick up, minus a few minutes in the A B or C line, are already convenient for shoppers. Together with their e-store and TV channel, Argos aims to make shopping more convenient.

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