Released: 20 October, 2006
Argos and Homebase extend commitment to customers with specific access needs
Two of the countries leading general merchandise retailers Argos and Homebase have committed to three years support for www.directenquiries.com, the nationwide access register, which provides a one stop information centre for people with specific access needs.
People with specific access needs include those with small children or disabilities. www.directenquiries.com lets them view facilities over the internet before they leave home.
Laurence Singer, Corporate Responsibility Manager for Home Retail Group which owns the Argos and Homebase brands commented on the decision: “We’re really pleased to extend our relationship with www.directenquiries.com and it signals our commitment to convenient shopping for all. This great service enables customers with specific access needs to choose the store that best suits their requirements.”
“Through www.directenquiries.com we are able to ensure customers have the most up to date information on access and facilities. We are able to make updates whenever necessary, allowing us to promptly let customers know of changes, such as refurbishments.”
Direct Enquiries, chief executive Grant Kennedy said: "Home Retail Group’s decision to work with us over the coming three years will give them a long term means of communicating to disabled people and with 1.3 million hits on the site each month it also provides great opportunities to engage with customers within this market."
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Notes to News Editors
For more information contact Kathryn Thomas, Media Relations Manager, tel: 0845 120 4365, mobile: 0771 3064079, email: media.relations@homeretailgroup.com
About Home Retail Group
Home Retail Group is the UK’s leading home and general merchandise retailer with sales of over £5.5 billion in the last financial year. It sells products under two distinctive and complementary retail brands, Argos and Homebase.
Argos is a unique retailer recognised for choice, value and convenience. It sells over 17,000 general merchandise products for the home through its network of 670 stores, online and over the phone. Argos’ internet site, www.argos.co.uk, is the second most popular internet retail site in the UK.
Homebase is the UK’s second largest home improvement retailer and is recognised for choice, style and customer service across the wider home enhancement market. It has more than 300 large, out of town stores, which sell over 30,000 products, as well as a growing internet offering at www.homebase.co.uk.
Argos and Homebase are supported by an in-house financial services business, ARG Financial Services, which provides a range of credit and insurance products to their customers through all customer-facing channels of stores, online and over the phone. ARG Financial Services is one of the largest store card providers in the UK, having over one million active store card customers
About Direct Enquiries
directenquiries.com, was developed as the Nationwide Disabled Access Register in 2002 in partnership with RADAR (Royal Association for Disability and Rehabilitation) and The Employers' Forum on Disability. During the past 12 months the information available has grown to include access for parents with pushchairs as well as the general public. This allowed directenquiries.com to rebrand as The Nationwide Access Register in January 2006.
Directenquiries.com is the only Nationwide Access Register specifically designed for companies to showcase their disabled access and other facilities. On average, directenquiries.com receives over 1.3 million hits each month from people looking for businesses, organisations and services with the disabled access they require.
For users, directenquires.com provides a full directory service for UK companies detailing the access and facilities available at those registered with directenquiries.com. The register currently includes disabled access information on leading high street names such as Boots, LloydsTSB, Argos, Gap, John Lewis, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Costa Coffee, Pizza Express, PC World and Waterstone’s as well as thousands of small and independent businesses. The disabled access information encompasses everything from parking, entrances, lifts, toilets, counter heights, wheelchair and pushchair access to staff assistance and auxilliary aids such as Braille, large print and induction loops.
For further information, images and interviews please contact Direct Enquiries on 01344 360101 or e-mail press@directenquiries.com or visit www.directenquiries.com