AO WORLD PLC
AO World Plc is a public limited company registered in England and Wales under company number 05525751, incorporated on 2 August 2005. Companies House records the company’s status as active, with its registered address at Unit 5a, The Parklands, Lostock, Bolton, BL6 4SD.
AO World Plc is the ultimate holding company of the AO group, an online retailer of major domestic appliances, consumer electronics and mobile products, trading principally through the ao.com website in the United Kingdom and through AO.Be in Belgium. Group activities span appliance and electronics retail, logistics and installation, appliance recycling and take-back (through subsidiaries including AO Recycling Limited, WEEE Collect It Limited and WEEE Re-Use It Limited), and, following the completion of the acquisition of musicMagpie plc on 12 December 2024, consumer-electronics re-commerce covering trade-in, refurbishment and resale of used devices. During 2026 the group also launched AO Mobile, a mobile virtual network operator service, and a mobile handset proposition branded Switch24.
Ordinary shares of AO World Plc are admitted to trading on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange under the ticker AO.
For the financial year ended 31 March 2026 (“FY26”), AO World Plc reported consolidated group revenue of £1,266.6 million, an increase of 11.4% on FY25 revenue of £1,137.5 million, according to the company’s final results announcement released on 17 June 2026. Adjusted profit before tax rose 16.1% to a record £50.5 million (FY25: £43.5 million), with no adjusting items in the statutory result. The group’s balance sheet moved from net debt of £35.9 million at the end of FY25 to net funds of £16.4 million at the end of FY26, and free cash flow increased to £66.4 million (FY25: £26.3 million). Following these results, the board announced its intention to return £20 million to shareholders through a £10 million special dividend and a £10 million share buyback programme, the company’s first buyback.
These figures relate to the consolidated AO group and should not be read as the standalone financial results of AO World Plc as a single legal entity.
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Shareholders
5
Shareholders of AO World Plc
AO World Plc’s ordinary shares are admitted to trading on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange (ticker: AO.), so the company does not publish a complete share register. Disclosure of significant holdings instead operates through the UK Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules (DTR 5), which require investors to notify the company when their voting rights cross set percentage thresholds. The company profile’s shareholder data lists a number of institutional and index-fund positions, most representing individual holdings of under 5% of issued share capital, verified as of 14 September 2026.
Among direct regulatory disclosures reviewed, Frasers Group plc notified a holding of approximately 26% of voting rights as of 7 May 2026, having built the position from an initial stake of around 18.9% first disclosed in 2023, making it the largest reported shareholder identified in this review. John Charles Roberts, the company’s founder and a serving director, disclosed a beneficial interest of 83,226,832 ordinary shares, equivalent to approximately 14.64% of issued share capital, in a Director/PDMR Shareholding notification dated August 2026; this figure excludes a further 6,348 shares held by Crystalcraft Limited and 2,325,879 shares held by the Jolly Foundation, of which Mr Roberts is a trustee, member and director. Other financial data providers report additional shareholders holding stakes above 5%, but these could not be independently confirmed against a primary regulatory filing during this review and have therefore been omitted.
Data availability
Disclosure is categorised as major shareholders only: as a listed company, AO World Plc discloses shareholdings that cross regulatory notification thresholds rather than a complete register of all shareholders. No verified ultimate beneficial owner could be identified in an individual capacity; Companies House records an active statement that the company knows of no registrable person with significant control, consistent with the exemption available to companies with voting shares admitted to trading on a regulated market.
Sources
- Companies House, "AO WORLD PLC – Persons with significant control", https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/05525751/persons-with-significant-control, retrieved 16 September 2026
- TradingView / Reuters, "Frasers Group Discloses 26% Stake In AO World As Of May 7", https://www.tradingview.com/news/reuters.com,2026:newsml_FWN41P02O:0-frasers-group-discloses-26-stake-in-ao-world-as-of-may-7-filing/, retrieved 16 September 2026
- Investegate, "Director/PDMR Shareholding" (John Roberts), https://www.investegate.co.uk/announcement/rns/ao-world–ao./director-pdmr-shareholding/9718377, dated August 2026, retrieved 16 September 2026
Registry feed — rows exactly as filed with Companies House, including entries the profile above does not cover.
| Shareholder | Type | Holding | Source Document |
|---|---|---|---|
| iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF | 4.1% | Companies House | |
| iShares MSCI EAFE Small Cap ETF | 3.6% | Companies House | |
| Vanguard Intl Equity Index Fds-FTSE All World ex U.S.Small Cap Index | 3.4% | Companies House | |
| College Retirement Equities Fund-Stock Account | 0.8% | Companies House | |
| iShares Core MSCI International Developed Markets ETF | 0.6% | Companies House |
Officers
20
Directors and officers of AO World Plc
Companies House records nine active officers of AO World Plc as at this review: eight directors and one company secretary. All eight current directors are officially disclosed as British nationals resident in England; the company secretary’s nationality is not disclosed on the public register. The board combines long-serving and recently appointed directors: Sophie Alice Tomkins was appointed on 1 September 2025, the most recent appointment identified, following Sarah Louise Venning (1 November 2022) and Peter Paul Pritchard (1 October 2022). Founder John Charles Roberts has served as a director since the company’s incorporation on 2 August 2005, and Christopher John Hopkinson since 12 December 2005. The register also shows a number of historical, resigned directors and a former company secretary dating back to incorporation, with resignations recorded between 2007 and 2015.
Recent officer changes
- Appointment: Sophie Alice Tomkins appointed as director, effective 1 September 2025 (Companies House).
- Appointment: Sarah Louise Venning appointed as director, effective 1 November 2022 (Companies House).
- Appointment: Peter Paul Pritchard appointed as director, effective 1 October 2022 (Companies House).
Data availability
Officer information is classified as full: Companies House publishes current and historical officers for UK-registered companies with appointment and resignation dates. Nationality is disclosed for directors but not for the company secretary. Correspondence addresses shown on the public register are the company’s registered service address and should not be read as officers’ home addresses or used to infer residence or nationality.
Sources
- Companies House, "AO WORLD PLC – Officers", https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/05525751/officers, retrieved 16 September 2026
Registry feed — rows exactly as filed with Companies House, including entries the profile above does not cover.
Group Structure
Group structure of AO World Plc
AO World Plc is the ultimate parent company of the AO group. No corporate parent above AO World Plc was identified in the sources reviewed; its shares are held by the public via the London Stock Exchange rather than by a single controlling corporate entity. AO World Plc directly or indirectly controls a number of UK-registered subsidiaries engaged in appliance and electronics retail, mobile services, logistics, appliance recycling and re-commerce, together with one subsidiary registered in Belgium (AO.Be). Principal operating subsidiaries reflected in the company’s group structure include AO Ltd, AO Retail Limited and Appliances Online Ltd for retail operations, AO Recycling Limited (itself parent to WEEE Collect It Limited and WEEE Re-Use It Limited) for appliance take-back and recycling, and Expert Logistics Ltd for logistics. A verified recent structural change is the completion, on 12 December 2024, of the acquisition of musicMagpie plc by AO Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of AO World Plc, which brought consumer-electronics re-commerce (trade-in, refurbishment and resale of used devices) into the group.
Recent structural changes
- Acquisition: AO Ltd, a subsidiary of AO World Plc, completed the acquisition of musicMagpie plc on 12 December 2024, following court sanction of the scheme of arrangement on 10 December 2024 (AO World plc company announcement, 12 December 2024).
Data availability
Corporate-linkage information is classified as full for the UK entities shown in the company’s group structure, based on Companies House registrations. The group’s Belgian subsidiary (AO.Be) was identified but its local registry filings were not independently reviewed for this profile.
Sources
- AO World plc, "Acquisition of musicMagpie plc", https://www.ao-world.com/2024/12/12/acquisition-of-musicmagpie-plc/, dated 12 December 2024, retrieved 16 September 2026
- Companies House, "AO WORLD PLC" group filings (subsidiary registration numbers), https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/05525751, retrieved 16 September 2026
Registry feed — rows exactly as filed with Companies House, including entries the profile above does not cover.
AO WORLD PLC
United Kingdom
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does AO WORLD PLC do?
AO World Plc is the UK-listed parent of the AO group, an online retailer of major domestic appliances, consumer electronics and mobile products trading as AO.com in the UK and AO.Be in Belgium, with re-commerce operations added via the December 2024 acquisition of musicMagpie plc.
Who owns AO WORLD PLC?
Major disclosed shareholders include Frasers Group plc (approximately 26% of voting rights as of 7 May 2026) and founder-director John Charles Roberts (approximately 14.64% of issued share capital, per an August 2026 PDMR notification); the complete shareholder base below regulatory notification thresholds is not publicly disclosed.
Who is AO WORLD PLC's UBO (Ultimate Beneficial Owner)?
Every shareholder recorded for AO WORLD PLC is itself a company rather than a natural person, so no Ultimate Beneficial Owner (UBO) is identified at this level; establishing one would require tracing the ownership of each shareholding company in turn.
What is AO WORLD PLC's company registration number?
AO WORLD PLC's registration number is 05525751, filed with Companies House in United Kingdom. Its current status on the register is active.
Is AO WORLD PLC still an active company?
AO WORLD PLC's status on Companies House is listed as active.
When was AO WORLD PLC incorporated?
AO WORLD PLC was incorporated on 2 August 2005, according to Companies House.
What is AO WORLD PLC's registered address?
The registered address on file for AO WORLD PLC is Bolton, United Kingdom.
What legal structure is AO WORLD PLC registered as?
AO WORLD PLC is registered as a Public Limited Company in United Kingdom.
What is AO WORLD PLC's revenue?
Group revenue for the year ended 31 March 2026 (FY26) was GBP 1,266.6 million, up 11.4% on FY25 revenue of GBP 1,137.5 million (source: AO World plc final results announcement, 17 June 2026).
Is AO WORLD PLC listed on a stock exchange?
Ordinary shares of AO World Plc trade on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange under ticker AO.
Who are the officers/directors of AO WORLD PLC?
Companies House lists 8 active directors and 1 company secretary as of this review; the most recent director appointment is Sophie Alice Tomkins (1 September 2025), and founder John Charles Roberts has served as a director since incorporation on 2 August 2005.
Does AO WORLD PLC have a parent company or subsidiaries?
AO World Plc is the ultimate parent of the AO group with no identified corporate parent of its own; it controls a number of UK subsidiaries plus a Belgian subsidiary (AO.Be), and completed the acquisition of musicMagpie plc through subsidiary AO Ltd on 12 December 2024.
Can Zavia monitor changes to AO WORLD PLC's ownership over time?
This profile reflects a point-in-time snapshot from Companies House. Zavia's monitoring API can track changes to AO WORLD PLC's registered shareholders, officers, and group structure going forward, flagging updates as they're filed rather than requiring a manual recheck.
Can I access AO WORLD PLC's data through an API?
Yes. Zavia's API connects directly to official government ownership registries across 195 countries and territories, including United Kingdom, so records like AO WORLD PLC's registration, shareholder, UBO, and group-structure data can be queried programmatically instead of viewed one page at a time.
Where does this company information come from, and how current is it?
This record is sourced directly from Companies House and was last synced on 15 September 2026.