The UK’s busiest shopping day of the year – Black Friday on 23 November – is nearly here and with 92 per cent of Brits planning to shop on mobile devices, online retailer Argos has recruited an army of ‘Human Hotspots’ to provide mobile internet connections to bargain-hungry Brits.
Trained by former soldier and SAS: Who Dares Wins star Ant Middleton, the Wi-Fi Army will be deployed on commuter trains across the UK to ensure the nation’s shopping needs are met, even on a packed commute.
The Wi-Fi Army has been recruited following research commissioned by Argos which found that 9 out of ten (92 per cent) people intend to shop from their mobile or tablet on Black Friday. Building on the success of 2017, when 79 per cent of visits to the Argos website were via mobile devices, leading to the site’s busiest ever hour (21:00-22:00 on Thursday 24 November). Despite the popularity of mobile shipping, the research also found that nearly two thirds of Brits (62 per cent) have been frustrated by a poor Wi-Fi connection when out and about, limiting their shopping habits.
To combat this nationwide struggle, Ant Middleton’s Wi-Fi Army will be hitting commuter trains this Black Friday, armed with high speed internet connections to support shoppers.
Argos’s Black Friday event launched on Friday 16 November with sizable discounts on a wide range of toys, homewares and electricals, including top brands such as Dyson, Phillips, Samsung, Xbox, PS4 and Lenovo. Games consoles, smart home products and video games are expected to be among the top sellers.
Mark Steel, Digital Director at Argos, said: “Black Friday has become a mobile-led event with people wanting the convenience of shopping on-the-go on their phones. But to bag the best bargains you need reliable Wi-Fi, which can be quite a battle. We’re fighting this problem by deploying an army of ‘Human Hotspots’, trained by ex-SAS hero Ant Middleton. They’ll be out and about across the UK connecting to our customers whilst on their daily commute.”