Argos has jumped on the text messaging bandwagon and is offering customers the chance to order goods over their mobile phone.

The Text & Take Home service, which was launched on Wednesday, allows customers to check the latest prices and availability of stock and then to reserve goods.

Argos is the first High Street retailer to launch such a service.

We are always looking at new and innovative ways of making shopping easier for our customers

Kate Swann Argos MD

About a billion text messages a month are being sent in the UK alone and Argos clearly believes it can steal a march on its competitors by offering customers the chance to shop from the comfort of their home, office or car.

Cynics might point out that Argos will never be able to deliver goods by mobile phone and customers will still have to go into its stores to pick and pay for their goods.

The company said Text & Take Home would work on the same basis as their Click & Collect internet and Ring & Reserve telephone services.

Christmas shopping

Customers get a reservation number which they take to the store to buy goods which have been reserved.

The launch has been deliberately timed to coincide with the traditional start of the Christmas shopping season.

Argos is also launching a new series of TV adverts starring Richard E Grant and Julia Sawalha.

Argos Managing Director, Kate Swann, said: "We are always looking at new and innovative ways of making shopping easier for our customers.

"This unique way of ordering goods follows after the successful installation in a lot of our stores of quick pay kiosks in which customers can fast track the ordering and paying system in our stores by using a credit card in a kiosk."