Random Argos price changes?

First published by Author on January 04, 2019 in the following categories: Price Hikes Pricing and tagged with comparison sites | pricing | retail

An investigation last year reportedly indicated randomness in terms of Argos price changes, alongside Amazon, AO, John Lewis and Currys PC World.

The internet has allowed for price comparison to be a huge factor in consumer decision making. In the aftermath of Christmas, when sales are everywhere, the consumer is expecting to make some savings.

But a consumer report last year reportedly indicated some strange behaviours when it came to Argos price changes. The same was also found for Amazon, AO, John Lewis and Currys PC World as well.

Are Argos price changes random?

According to consumer research conducted last year, some Argos price changes appeared to be totally random. The same applied for other retailers also.

The investigation spread across a year, and was conducted by consumer body Which?. They found that some prices appeared to fluctuate “wildly” throughout the year for some products. Others appeared to remain somewhat stable.

The study looked at 32 popular products from Argos, Amazon, AO, Currys PC World and John Lewis. During periods that weren’t involving sales, some product prices appeared to change drastically without any apparent reason.

Which? said: “the random pricing policy from retailers makes it much harder for consumers to plan when to buy the products that they’re interested in”.

Some examples included a vacuum cleaner where the price shot up by more than 50%, and pricing variations for fridge-freezers and printers varying in price by more than 40%.

What could these “random” Argos price changes mean for the consumer?

For the consumer, seemingly random Argos price changes – or changes for the other retailers listed – can be unhelpful.

It could mean that consumers are paying way more for goods at random times. Although consumers may expect to pay more in non-sales periods, this doesn’t explain random fluctuations throughout the year. It could essentially mean the pricing policies are leaving some consumers paying way more for goods than they ought to be doing.

All consumers can do is make sure they research and look around. I personally always look around and spend a fair amount of time searching for the best deals. What’s the point in paying more than you have to?

Seemingly random price changes serve as a reminder of the importance of looking around. Just because the retailer may be well-known for having low prices and regular sales doesn’t mean you’re getting the best deal with them at that specific time.