In a bid to help sports fans enjoy upcoming events, leading retailer Argos has urged the nation to be “selective with their slots” to ensure their viewing is uninterrupted.
With the help of Scottish footballing legend Colin Hendry, Argos has launched the “doorstep defence” campaign with a Public Service Announcement film fronted by the former-international defender.
In the film, Hendry is shown training up a squad of delivery defenders in the art of protecting fans’ homes from doorstop distractions. Through a series of tongue-in-cheek training exercises, the squad learn how to safely defend homes from delivery distractions by collecting parcels so that fans inside can enjoy live sports in peace.
Research by Argos found that 16 million Brits say they’ve missed a “truly vital” sporting moment due to a knock at the door interrupting their enjoyment of a game or match. Fans report missing cup-winning penalties, tennis tournament triumphs and semi-final defining red cards.
“There’s nothing more annoying than a knock at the door during a big TV moment. I missed Scotland’s first goal vs Gibraltar just last week, so trust me I know of what I speak. That’s why I’ve teamed up with Argos to bring this important issue to the nation’s attention and help give distractions the boot – so they can enjoy a summer of sport in peace.”
Former international captain and defensive legend Colin Hendry
Aside from major moments, the vast majority (85%) of Brits say they’ve had their viewing of a game interrupted. Parcel deliveries have been an unwelcome interruption for more than two-thirds of fans (67%), while a third have been bothered with unwanted visitors (34%) or nosy neighbours (33%) also amongst the culprits. Close to one-in-five (18%) say that when they have momentarily paused a game at home, the result has been ruined in mere seconds by cheers and shouts from neighbours.
Lisa Hollidge at Argos says: “We pride ourselves on our same-day and Fast-Track delivery services, offering deliveries seven days a week between 7.00 am and 10.00 pm*. However, even we would acknowledge that during a big match – particularly one that might feel it’s been a long-time coming – a knock at the door could be an unwanted distraction. That’s why we’re encouraging fans to time their deliveries wisely in the coming weeks so they don’t miss a moment of the action.”
Research shows that two thirds of fans prefer to watch sport at home, with just one-in-ten (14%) opting for the pub. As a result, Argos recently announced that it expects to sell four televisions a minute – more than 180,000, enough to fill Wembley Stadium twice over, – during the summer of sport. Furthermore, shoppers are on the hunt for bigger screens, with the average size of TVs sold by Argos this year up to 55” from 49”. The retailer is offering free 5-year*** extended warranty on selected TVs over £1,000 before the 14th of July 2024, to give customers added peace of mind when upgrading their entertainment set up.
To shop the range, visit: www.argos.co.uk
