An individual has the luxury to analyze and interpret certain problems and situations from ones own perspective.

But an entrepreneur needs to see those very same situations from various angles and viewpoints. When I Walked into Argos, the business model adapted by this retail chain perplexed me. It seemed very convenient to walk into a store that has a readymade up-to-date catalogue to browse through. The items were listed and segregated according to functionality. The costs were clearly mentioned and the method of procurement fairly simple. The simplicity that existed in the business model intrigued me. As I spent some time at the outlet I realized that there were 2 basic categories of consumers walking in. The first category consisted of people who knew exactly what they wanted (in terms of product, make and functionality) and referred to the catalogue only to get the product number. Hence the purchase decision was swift and problems were fairly minimal. I presumed that this category of people might have had some sort of prior physical or emotional interaction with the product to support their confidence in the purchase. The second category of consumers that I observed were the ones who were unsure of they purchase decision and took a considerable amount of time as they browsed through the catalogue. I could tell that most of them had a general idea of what they wanted but couldnt make an instant decision from the given choices. This probably stemmed from the fact that they could not get the hands on experience with the product. It seemed but logical to be unsure since if one lacks prior interaction with a product he/she has no idea to the quality of product they settle for at a cost.

At this stage the consumer either continues to shop or may choose to exit the store.

Customer Enters Store

Views Available Options

Makes Payment At Till Exits Store Selects Product

Browses Through the Catalogue

Waits For Delivery

At this stage a technological interface (Tablet PCs) can greatly enhance the buying experience and help the customer make a better choice.

The above diagram gives us an insight into the journey taken by a customer once he/she enters Argos. All the activities performed by the consumer that affect the buying processes are illustrated here along with a few suggestions that may enhance the experience. It occurred to me that the consumers experience while buying plays a key role in the final purchase and the level of satisfaction. The following diagram illustrates the main type of people involved in the business activity at Argos: USER

COMMUNITY

DESIGNER

In the above diagram the user represents the potential consumer who enters Argos whereas the designer represents the product/service provided by the business. The community represents the people involved with the business, who make up the general business environment and work with the enterprise. The community consists of a wide variety of people ranging from the cashier and the people working in the store to the manufacturers of the products shelved by the retailer. The designer in this case would be the home retail group who is responsible for bringing these products to the open market to serve the needs of the consumer. The link between the community and the user is governed by roles and skills; these may be in the form of good PR skills or simply the ability of the staff to fulfill their job requirement efficiently. A certain set of rules and laws that exist are vital to the relationship shared by the community and the designer. These laws may be judicial or corporate in nature but they exist to provide a certain level of understanding between the two types of people. The existence of these laws serves a common higher purpose and that is to fulfill the consumer needs adequately.