Argos today has announced that it is to either close or relocate 75 stores over the next few years as it starts to restructure the business as a more web based company. Obviously the closure of stores is never a great thing as it means jobs would be lost. But for a change, it may not be a bad thing in the long run.

Argos’s focus is to become a ‘click and collect’ business. It wants to become a business where people will go online with their laptops, tablets and phones, use their website or apps to order something online, then go to a store to pick it up. I’ll be honest, it’s something that I’ve used before and it works well. I have the app on my Nexus phone. I’ve only used it a couple of time, but each time it has worked well.

So the day of the catalogue is numbered and the rise of the online store is well and truly here. To be honest its about time. The high street has been struggling for a while now, and profits at Argos have suffered as a result. Though their sales have been stabilising over the past year. The great thing about this is that Argos won’t (hopefully) disappear from the high street. Though 75 stored will close, Argos has over 700 stores in total across the UK and Ireland. They plan to still use these stores as collection points for online orders, which is a process Argos is now looking to push and expand to a much wider audience.

The news of the new plan was welcomed by parent company Home Retail Group, who’s shares rose by as much as 9% in early trading. Clearly investors think that is is a good move by Argos and made at the right time, given the troubles other high street chains like HMV have been having of late. I have to agree. Having used the service myself I can confirm it works well. This to me seems like a smart way of adapting a high street business to the online world without completely shelving the stores that exist. If only HMV and other high street businesses that have gone to wall had implemented such a plan.

Chief Executive Terry Buddy has said that by the end of the restructuring, he wants 75% of sales to come from the online domain. That is a big ask, but given how online sales have increased year on year since forever, I think it is something that is within reach. I wish Argos all the luck in the world with this as I don’t think anyone else wants to see another mainstay of the British high street go to the wall like so many before it.

A full report from the BBC on the story can be found here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-20054168