AO World

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AO World plc
ao.com
Company type
Public limited company
LSE: AO.
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HeadquartersBolton, England, UK
Area served
United Kingdom
Key people
John Roberts
(Chief executive officer)
Geoff Cooper
(Chairman)
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OwnerFrasers Group (25.01%)[1]
Camelot Capital Partners (20.4%)
John Roberts (18.3%)
Odey Asset Management (5.2%)[2]
Number of employees
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Websitewww.ao-world.com

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AO World plc, trading as ao.com, is an electrical retailer based in Bolton, England. It operates in the United Kingdom (ao.com), and operated in Germany (ao.de) until July 2022 and in the Netherlands (ao.nl) until November 2019, specialising in household kitchen appliances, (such as washing machines, refrigerators, dishwashers and cookers) and other electricals.[4] It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.

History

The company was founded under the name Appliances Online by John Roberts in 2000. Prior to this, during a conversation in a Bolton pub, a close friend bet Roberts £1 that he could not set up his own company and disrupt the white goods market by selling appliances online.[5]

As well as selling directly to consumers, the company also sold kitchen appliances on behalf of other retailers such as Next, House of Fraser and B&Q. In 2009 the company acquired the distribution business Expert Logistics, enabling end-to-end control of their operation.[6]

In 2013 Appliances Online rebranded to AO.com, which included a redesign of their logo to its current state.[7]

In February 2014, the company was floated on the London Stock Exchange as AO World.[8] The IPO allowed the company to raise funds for European expansion.[9]

In 2015 AO.com announced plans for their second overseas website, AO.nl[10] In the same year, a number of AO employees completed a Germany to Bolton bike ride to raise money for a new playground.[11]

In 2016 to support its European expansion, AO opened its 84,000-square-metre (900,000 sq ft) headquarters in Bergheim, Germany.[12]

In 2017 the company announced it would sponsor the 11th series of ITV show, Britain's Got Talent.[13] It also announced that it would extend its sponsorship with Lancashire County Cricket Club.[14] It was also reported that company founder, Roberts, would step down as CEO, remaining on the board as founder and executive director. The former COO, Steve Caunce, took over as CEO.[15] In March, the company announced that it had raised £50 million through share placing to support plans for further growth.[16] The retailer also announced that it was to open a recycling plant in Telford, Shropshire.[17]

In January 2018, the retailer reported that it had opened a new office in Manchester city centre, which was to be home to the business's in-house multimedia, IT and sales teams.[18] In April, the business announced that it had become one of only 20 businesses in the world to have received over 100,000 Trustpilot reviews.[19] In July, the business launched its new brand campaign, Delivering Tomorrow.[20] It was also reported that it had committed to building a second major fridge recycling facility in the south east of England.[21] The company also confirmed that it had completed the acquisition of the online phone retailer Mobile Phones Direct for £32.5 million, as it looked to expand its offering in the mobile phone sector.[22]

In January 2019, it was announced that Caunce would step down as CEO and Roberts would reassume the role.[23]

AO's recycling plant in Telford processed its millionth fridge in July 2019.[24]

AO Mobile launched in August 2019, offering all UK mobile networks and all handset manufacturers. Roberts described the launch as "a game changer for mobile phone customers".[25]

In August 2019, AO launched AO Finance in partnership with consumer finance provider NewDay. AO Finance offers a rolling credit facility that gives customers access to essential products through affordable finance.[26]

In October 2019, AO's plastic plant was unveiled as the company announced its ambition to use its recycling capabilities to ultimately make new fridges from the recycled materials extracted from old ones.[27]

Announcing its interim financial results in November 2019, Roberts confirmed that AO would close its operation in the Netherlands to focus on its German business. Roberts explained that the team did not have the bandwidth to fix both markets but remained committed to future international expansion once the German model was proven.[28]

In April 2020, AO Business continued to grow and after only six months in the housebuilders sector, secured over 12,000 building plots.[29] Following a strategic review in July 2022, AO exited the housebuilder market to focus on business-to-business sectors that better fitted its model. This includes kitchen manufacturers and retailers, such as its partnership with Homebase, which launched in January 2022.[30][31]

In September 2020, AO announced that it would be the new headline sponsor of Manchester Arena. The announcement came as operators ASM Global were submitting a planning application for phase one of its redevelopment. In a five-year deal, the rebranded AO Arena would see live events resuming once the COVID-19-related restrictions on venues were lifted.[32]

In October 2020, AO announced plans to open five 'stores-within-a-store' with Tesco as part of a six-month partnership trial with the supermarket.[33] It ended the trial in July 2022.[34]

Following the launch of its Value Creation Plan in 2020, an all employee long-term incentive that rewards exceptional value creation, AO announced a restructuring of the plan in September 2022, which saw the scheme begin funding at a share price of £1.[35]

In June 2022, AO closed its German business, which accounted for around 10% of the group's revenue.[36][37] The following month, AO successfully completed a planned £40 million capital raise to strengthen its balance sheet and increase liquidity.[38]

In Autumn 2022, AO appointed two new non-executive directors to its board. Former Pets at Home chief executive, Peter Pritchard, joined in September and Pret a Manger global chief digital officer Sarah Venning joined in November 2022.[39][40]

At its half year financial results in November 2022, AO upgraded its full year profit expectations following its strategic pivot to focus on cash generation and profitability, which included reducing its cost base by £30 million.[41]

In the same month, AO announced it was the new headline sponsor of Manchester Thunder, the current and four time Netball Super League champions.[42]

AO announced in October 2024 that it would acquire musicMagpie, an online retailer that buys and sells refurbished electronics, for approximately £10 million, as part of expanding the firm's consumer tech businesses.[43]

Operations

File:AO Lieferfahrzeug.jpg
AO delivery vehicle

The company now occupies Template:Cvt offices and is based in Bolton.[44]

Advertising

The company launched a new advertising campaign on 3 May 2013 to mark the rebranding of the business from Appliances Online to ao.com. The first advert follows a fictional new employee called 'Dave' and his over-enthusiastic inductor on his first day at work. A further advert was aired showing 'Barry Catchpole'.[45] Its adverts feature a version of the Ramones song "Blitzkrieg Bop" in which the words "Hey! Ho! Let's go!" are reinterpreted as "A.O. Let's go!".[46]

In May 2020, AO launched a new advertising campaign with an advert showing how Britain's homes were working harder than ever whilst many people were forced to stay home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The advert demonstrated the hundreds of thousands of electricals AO have in stock ready for next day delivery across the UK.[47]

References

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  1. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Wright, Georgia (26 March 2025). "Mike Ashley's Frasers Group raises AO World stake". www.retailgazette.co.uk.
  2. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Sweney, Mark (12 June 2023). "Mike Ashley's Frasers Group takes 19% stake in AO World". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Annual Report 2025". AO World. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
  4. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."What We Do". AO World. Retrieved 9 January 2019.
  5. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."AO founder claims business started as £1 pub bet". BBC News. Archived from the original on 13 December 2013.
  6. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."DRL acquires Expert Logistics". Ertonline.co.uk. 22 July 2009. Archived from the original on 28 October 2013. Retrieved 24 June 2014.
  7. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Appliances Online looking to diversify after 10 Associates rebrand". Prolific North. 2 September 2013.
  8. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Online Retailer World Surges on London Trading Debut". Bloomberg. 26 February 2014. Retrieved 24 June 2014.
  9. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Butler, Sarah (7 February 2014). "Online appliances retailer AO to float on London Stock Exchange". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  10. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."AO.com will launch in the Netherlands". Ecommerce News. 24 November 2015. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  11. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Bolton business to fund £70,000 playground for ill youngsters". The Bolton News. 19 May 2015. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  12. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Build-to-Suit for AO in Bergheim, Germany". Prologis. 13 March 2017. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  13. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."AO.com to sponsor Britain's Got Talent after MediaCom North deal". Prolific North. 6 March 2017. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  14. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Begum, Shelina (12 April 2017). "AO.com extends sponsorship with Lancashire County Cricket Club". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  15. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."AO World founder John Roberts steps down as CEO". Financial Times. 22 February 2017. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  16. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Bradshaw, Julia (30 March 2017). "AO World raises £50m from share placing to drive growth plans". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  17. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."AO and TRG merge to form fridge and WEEE recycling giant". letsrecycle.com. 16 June 2017. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  18. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Greer, Stuart (1 February 2018). "AO.com the online electrical retailer moves into the city". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  19. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."AO.com reaches 100,000 Trustpilot reviews". BusinessCloud.co.uk. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  20. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Video: Bolton firm AO creates new Hollywood-style advert - to save the sun!". The Bolton News. 20 July 2018. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  21. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."AO to build fridge plant in South East England". letsrecycle.com. 17 July 2018. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  22. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Stevens, Ben (9 November 2018). "AO World to buy Mobile Phones Direct for £32.5m". Retail Gazette. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  23. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."CEO of electricals retailer AO World to step down, founder to..." Reuters. 31 January 2019. Archived from the original on 31 January 2019. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
  24. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Robert Sant, AO Recycling (12 July 2019). "AO hits millionth recycled fridge milestone". letsrecycle.com. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  25. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.George MacDonald (27 February 2020). "AO launches 'game changing' mobile phone business | News". Retail Week. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  26. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."AO launches AO Finance to spread the cost of purchases - Your Money". Your Money. 19 September 2019. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
  27. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Can old fridges be recycled to make new ones?". BBC News. 29 November 2019. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  28. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."AO World ditches Dutch arm to focus on UK and Germany". Financial Times. 19 November 2019. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  29. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."AO.com B2B division expands team after quick growth - Essential Retail". Essential Retail. 20 April 2020. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
  30. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Faithfull, Mark (18 August 2022). "AO.com plunges to full-year loss with further sales fall expected - Retail Gazette". www.retailgazette.co.uk.
  31. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Evans, Vicki (18 October 2022). "Kitchen showroom retail is a 'phenomenal opportunity' says AO boss". kbbreview.
  32. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Manchester Arena's new name revealed as bold redesign plans take another step forward". Manchester Evening News. 2 September 2020. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
  33. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."AO, let's go... to Middleton - electrical giant to open first ever store at Tesco Extra". Manchester Evening News. 14 October 2020. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  34. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Goldfingle, Gemma (19 July 2022). "AO.com ditches Tesco concession trial - Retail Gazette". Retail Gazette. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
  35. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Cameron, Isabel (25 August 2022). "AO to restructure its all-employee Value Creation Plan -".
  36. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."AO World shutting German business to focus on UK market". The Independent. 9 June 2022. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
  37. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Electrical retailer AO World swings to loss as costs mount and demand weakens". Financial Times. 18 August 2022. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
  38. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Alabi, Leke Oso (6 July 2022). "AO World plans £40mn capital raise after sharp share price fall". Financial Times.
  39. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Former Pets at Home boss joins AO". Prolific North. 9 September 2022.
  40. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Wright, Georgia (1 November 2022). "AO names Pret A Manger global chief digital officer as non-executive director - Retail Gazette". Retail Gazette.
  41. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Provan, Sarah; Alim, Arjun Neil (22 November 2022). "AO upgrades outlook despite widening losses". Financial Times.
  42. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Allcock, Sam (7 November 2022). "AO bolsters Manchester Thunder in new 5 year sports sponsorship deal".
  43. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."UK's AO World to buy musicMagpie in $13.3 million deal". Reuters. 2 October 2024.
  44. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Fast-growing DRL signs deal for new Bolton headquarters". Bdaily Business News. 8 August 2013.
  45. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Ad of the Day: Appliances Online - 'Barry'". The Drum. 18 May 2013. Retrieved 28 March 2016.
  46. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Nic Fildes (3 June 2015). "Tempus: investors look at AO and say: let's go". The Times. Retrieved 16 July 2016.
  47. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."AO.com TV advert - 1000s of electricals delivered safely". You Tube. 30 April 2020. Retrieved 13 August 2020.

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