We helped Argos accelerate its transition to a data-led business by architecting and staffing a full-scale analytics function in under 12 months.
Situation
Argos needed a high-impact data capability spanning analytics, BI, data infrastructure, campaigns, and visualisation.
The executive team at Argos devised a strategy for the business to become a modern, insight-led retailer: one that would enable smarter decision-making, more efficient operations, and customer-centric growth.
With over 1 billion site visits a year and a complex omnichannel environment, Argos needed to build a high-performing data organisation spanning analytics, business intelligence, data management, campaign systems, and visualisation.
We were retained by the Head of Customer & Market Insight, who was leading the change programme, to support this strategic transformation by recruiting the talent to architect and deliver a next-generation data-driven organisation.
This transformation became a key enabler of Sainsbury’s ASPIRE strategy to
“democratise data and operationalise insight.”
Approach
We were entrusted to design and deliver a comprehensive hiring programme that would enable the build-out of these functions.
Working closely with Argos’s executive team, we scoped talent needs across five interlinked domains—Customer, Commercial, Marketing, Finance, and Supply Chain—and led the end-to-end recruitment of deeply skilled specialists.
This led to 23 key appointments being made (21 permanent, 2 interim), some of which include:
- Head of Data Science
- Head of Customer Insight
- Econometrics & Marketing Mix Modelling Manager
- Senior Insight Analysts
- Customer Analytics Manager
- Senior Data Scientist – Supply Chain
- Reporting & MI Analysts
- Finance Data Analysts
- BI Developers
- Database Developer & Customer Data Manager
- Campaign Systems Specialist (IBM Campaign)
From Strategy to Execution: Sample Hires Made
Lead Data Scientist (Supply Chain & AI Programme)
Launched Argos’s first enterprise machine learning programme, delivering demand forecasting, supplier classification, and NLP-driven substitution models with a combined impact of £9M+ in cost savings. Scaled the team from 6 to 14 and authored the data strategy for FY18–19.
Data Science Controller (SCV & CRM Strategy)
Designed and governed the Single Customer View platform, enabling 85% revenue attribution across 29M customer profiles. Led CRM optimisation to double email conversion rates and executed store network reshaping using geospatial analytics—relocating 200 stores with no revenue loss.
Data Scientist (Forecasting & Simulation)
Developed a machine learning clustering model to optimise serviceability across the supply chain and re-engineered Argos’s inventory simulation engine for greater realism. Partnered with external teams to scale sales forecasting with Scikit-Learn.
Senior Customer Analytics Manager (Test & Learn Leadership)
Led test-and-learn capability across channels, including econometric modelling, digital attribution, and in-store experimentation. Delivered segmentation frameworks and behavioural models that transformed how Argos measured and maximised marketing and investment impact.
Econometrics Manager (Media ROI & Spend Reallocation)
Guided the reallocation of £25M in marketing spend from underperforming print/catalogue to high-performing PPC and TV, achieving 20x uplift in returns. Owned attribution modelling across a £100M+ media budget, and integrated promotional data into the SCV.
Customer Data Manager (SCV Governance & Strategy Alignment)
Business lead for SCV delivery, driving prioritisation, governance, and cross-functional coordination of customer data. Aligned marketing and insight strategy with data architecture to ensure trusted, usable data across the enterprise.
Segmentation & Modelling Manager (Customer Analytics)
Developed and productionised a customer recommendation engine. Delivered segmentation, propensity, and event analysis (e.g. Black Friday) to inform test design and campaign performance—powering data-driven decision-making across Argos’s marketing landscape.
Senior Product Manager (Digital, Tech & Data)
Directed the roadmap and agile delivery of Sainsbury’s enterprise product data ecosystem. Oversaw technical teams, prioritised high-impact product features, and aligned data services with commercial and customer experience objectives.
Analytics & BI Lead (Reporting & Data Visualisation Infrastructure)
Delivered a cloud-native BI platform for Argos’s Finance and Commercial teams, enabling production-ready, self-serve reporting tools. Rolled out key dashboards for merchandising and finance, transforming visibility and speed of decision-making.
Every role was tied to a business-critical capability—from enabling Single Customer View (SCV) governance and marketing automation, to driving operational agility and cross-channel insight.
Result
Banba’s end-to-end partnership enabled Argos to evolve from fragmented reporting and siloed decision-making to a data-empowered business with measurable commercial impact.
- £350M+ in incremental revenue generated through data-enabled commercial optimisation
- £70M+ cost savings delivered through test-&-learn and more efficient campaign targeting
- Over 1,400 dashboards deployed weekly, replacing static reports and enabling agile decision-making
Real-Time Commercial Insights
Commercial teams across merchandising, finance, and marketing now leverage real-time insights, enabling more informed decision-making and quicker responses to market changes.
Unified Customer Data Infrastructure
A centralised data infrastructure supports personalised campaigns across both digital and in-store channels, enhancing customer engagement and driving business growth.
Improved Forecasting Speed & Accuracy
Forecasting cycles were reduced from weeks to hours, boosting accuracy and agility in decision-making, allowing teams to respond faster to market demands.
Fully Integrated Data Function Across Sainsbury’s Group Transformation
The fully integrated data function has become a key component of Sainsbury’s wider transformation, driving data-led decision-making throughout the organisation.
“Banba didn’t just help us recruit—they helped us architect a future-facing function. Their early work gave us the capability we needed to hit the ground running post-acquisition.”
— Head of CMI, Argos
Our partnership with Argos was pivotal in building a high-performing, data-driven organisation that enabled smarter decision-making, enhanced operational efficiency, and customer-centric growth.
By recruiting key talent and implementing a comprehensive data strategy, we empowered Argos to generate substantial revenue, drive cost savings, and embed real-time insights across the business—laying the foundation for continued success in Sainsbury’s broader transformation.
Transform with Banba
From advisory through to execution, Banba built the structure, sourced the talent, and scaled the data capability that powered measurable commercial outcomes.
Our goal is simple: to empower your organisation with top-tier AI and data science talent exactly when you need it. Trust Banba to provide solutions that drive innovation, efficiency and growth.
