AO, the UK’s most trusted electrical retailer, has completed the acquisition of Jessops, a leading specialist photography retailer, from Peter Jones CBE.
The acquisition, funded from existing cash resources, supports AO’s strategy of expanding into adjacent categories, giving customers and AO Members more reasons to shop with AO.
Jessops brings a trusted brand and specialist expertise in cameras and optical technology.
Jessops’ recommerce business Camera Jungle is highly complementary to AO’s existing musicMagpie operations and further strengthens AO’s circular economy credentials.
AO expects Jessops to grow over the next 12 months as AO uses its scale, traffic and operational expertise to drive efficiencies.
John Roberts, Founder and CEO of AO, said: “It has been a busy first half of the year as we both buy and build more category capability, give more reasons to be an AO member and continue to build growth engines for the future.
“To that end I am delighted to welcome Jessops into the AO family and look forward to growing the existing business as well as integrating the category into the wider AO business.”
AO World plc published its pre-close trading update through the London Stock Exchange’s Regulatory News Service (RNS) ahead of its Annual General Meeting at 4pm on 24 September 2026. It covers the first half (H1) of AO’s 2027 financial year, from 1 April to 30 September 2026.
AO expects Group revenue to be up 5.5% year on year and PBT to be up by over 20% to c. £21.5m. AO says this reflects the underlying strength of the business, with operational improvements in its Mobile and musicMagpie businesses.
AO’s full-year profit expectations remain unchanged, reflecting planned strategic investments, including its enterprise resource planning (ERP) programme, and a more challenging comparative environment in the second half.
AO also anticipates ending H1 with over £200m of liquidity headroom, after the £10m dividend paid in June and the completion of half of its ongoing £10m share buyback programme. AO says this underlines the strength of its cash generation and its commitment to disciplined capital allocation.
John added: “We’ve carried our momentum into the new financial year with continued growth against a sluggish backdrop in the wider UK retail sector. Group revenue is up over 5%, profit is up more than 20% and cash generation remains strong.
“We have given over £29m of discounts to our members in the period, which is further proof that our shared economics model is doing exactly what it’s built to do.”
“Our plan is clear and we will keep delivering on it. We are firmly on our path to over 5% PBT margin as our next milestone and have clear growth and efficiency initiatives to make that happen. We will do this while continuing to share more of our scale economies with our members.
“Our service quality in the period hasn’t flickered despite a very challenging summer for our delivery teams in the heat and I would like to extend my thanks to them for their commitment to our customers. Maintaining our world-class Trustpilot score of 4.9 out of 5 on over a million reviews does not happen by accident. It is a company-wide obsession and one we never take for granted.
“There continues to be a lot of uncertainty in the world but we look forward to heading into peak trading with confidence and momentum behind us.”
Frequently asked questions
Who did AO acquire Jessops from, and how is the deal funded?
AO acquired Jessops, a leading specialist photography retailer, from Peter Jones CBE. The acquisition was funded from existing cash resources.
Why has AO acquired Jessops?
The acquisition supports AO’s strategy of expanding into adjacent categories and gives customers and AO Members more reasons to shop with AO. Jessops brings a trusted brand and specialist expertise in cameras and optical technology.
What is Camera Jungle?
Camera Jungle is Jessops’ re-commerce (pre-owned resale) business. AO says it is highly complementary to its existing musicMagpie operations.
How is AO trading in the first half of its 2027 financial year?
For 1 April to 30 September 2026, AO expects Group revenue to be up 5.5% year on year and profit before tax (PBT) to be up by over 20% to c. £21.5m.
Has AO changed its full-year profit expectations?
No. AO says its full-year profit expectations remain unchanged, reflecting planned strategic investments, including its ERP programme, and a more challenging comparative environment in the second half.
When will AO publish its half-year results?
AO expects to publish its Half Year Results to 30 September 2026 on 24 November 2026.