Argos has teamed up with Transport for London (TfL) to launch its first Underground store, Argos Collect, at Cannon Street Tube station.
Around 4.2m journeys are made on London Underground every day, and the partnership with Argos is part of TfL's wider plans to develop its commercial estate to improve the services on offer for customers and generate revenue that can be reinvested in the transport network.

With the rise in smartphone use and the availability of wi-fi at London Underground stations, it is now easy for commuters to make an online purchase as they travel. The Argos Collect store will provide customers with a choice of over 20,000 products which they can buy or reserve in advance online, for easy collection within hours.

The Cannon Street store is one of several new digital formats that Argos has introduced across the country, including traditional Argos stores converted to a contemporary new digital format, smaller-sized digital stores and concessions inside selected Homebase stores.

John Walden, chief executive of Argos' parent company, Home Retail Group, said: "Digital shoppers are increasingly demanding improved choice, convenience and speed in the fulfillment of their online orders, especially via click and collect.

"Our new digital stores represent what we believe will be the role of the Argos store in an emerging digital future - modern and energetic, with larger ranges available within hours, tablets for easy browsing and ordering, streamlined in-store customer journeys including 60-second fast track collection of online purchases, and a friendly human face to provide personalised customer service."

Argos has almost 50 digital stores in place for Christmas and can provide 20,000 products to any location within hours, regardless of the stocking capacity of the store. The new Cannon Street store covers only 650sq ft, with a sales floor of just 170sq ft. Customer orders will be fulfilled via Argos' 'hub and spoke' network, with twice-daily journeys from a larger nearby hub store using a fleet of Argos vans.