I've been in London for about a week now, and I've been surprised as to how similar the UK is to the United States. Sure, there are small cultural differences here and there (such as the UK's startling lack of peanut butter, for one), but for the most part, the two countries aren't quite so different. Or, at least, that's what I thought before I ventured into Argos.
If you've been to the UK, or you watch British panel and comedy shows, you've heard the store's name thrown about here or there. The concierges at the hotel I've been staying at have equated Argos to an American store like Target. Having been to Argos, I can say with full confidence that anyone who compares Argos to Target has never set foot in a Target.
Basically, Argos is a warehouse - a bit like Costco, really - only instead of being inside the warehouse, patrons don't get to look at the items they're about to buy until they've already paid for them. Instead, they flip through a catalogue searching for what they want, then enter the ID number into the computer and hope it's in stock.
It's very much like shopping online, but without the added benefit of knowing the store has whatever you want to order. I set foot in Argos with a list of 12 things (blankets, pillows, towels, etc). Of the 12 things, 4 were completely out of stock, and 3 were only available in limited sizes.
The amazing thing is that this is not only considered a normal shopping practice in the UK, but it's beloved by the people there. Whereas my mother and I got frustrated by the lack of stuff, everyone else in the shop looked pretty cheerful, or at least content. As Americans, we were annoyed and upset by the lack of availability of our items, but the locals accepted this as a fact of life with ease.
Unwittingly, I stumbled upon the greatest difference between the UK and the US. Americans are a little more uptight; we expect for things to be easy, and when they aren't we get upset. Even if it's only a minor inconvenience, such as the towels coming in the wrong sizes, we're still conditioned to be angry. The Brits have a different attitude. They accept that sometimes things don't go the way you want them to, and there's no use getting frustrated over the matter. They don't focus heavily on the minor unpleasantries; they know it's okay if Argos doesn't have any comforters in stock because it's not the end of the world.