AO Acquires Jessops in Camera Retail Expansion

Published: 24 September 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online

Online electricals retailer AO World has acquired troubled camera specialist Jessops from entrepreneur and Dragons’ Den star Peter Jones, bringing one of Britain’s best-known photography retail brands under new ownership as AO continues to expand beyond the household electrical products that have traditionally defined its business.

AO confirmed on Thursday that it had completed the acquisition of the entire Jessops business, including its remaining seven physical stores across the UK. The financial terms of the transaction have not been disclosed. AO said the purchase would be financed entirely from its existing cash resources, meaning the company did not need to announce additional borrowing or external funding to complete the deal.

The acquisition marks another step in AO’s strategy of broadening the range of products it sells to customers. The company has built its reputation primarily around large household appliances, mobile phones and televisions, but in recent years it has increasingly sought to establish a presence in adjacent electrical categories.

For AO, the purchase of Jessops offers access to a specialist brand with a long history in photography and camera equipment. It also provides the company with an opportunity to combine Jessops’ expertise and customer base with AO’s established online retail infrastructure, website traffic and operational scale.

AO said Jessops would support its efforts to encourage customers to purchase a wider range of products through the retailer. The company also pointed to the potential benefits of bringing Jessops’ specialist knowledge in cameras and optical technology into its wider business.

The transaction is particularly significant because Jessops operates not only as a traditional retailer but also through its secondhand photography operation, Camera Jungle. The business specialises in buying and selling used digital cameras, lenses and photography accessories, an area that fits with AO’s growing interest in the so-called circular economy.

AO already has experience in the secondhand technology market through its ownership of musicMagpie. The company acquired musicMagpie in December 2024. That business buys and sells used smartphones, tablets, games consoles, video games, CDs and DVDs, giving AO an established platform in the resale and recommerce sector.

The addition of Camera Jungle therefore allows AO to extend its activities in the used-technology market into photography equipment. The company said the two businesses were complementary and that Jessops’ presence in cameras and optical products could strengthen its wider position in recommerce.

The acquisition comes at a difficult but potentially significant point in Jessops’ long history. The retailer, which was founded in Leicester in 1935 by Frank Jessop, has experienced repeated financial difficulties and has entered administration on three occasions during the past two decades.

Its most recent financial accounts show a business that has been able to increase sales while continuing to operate at a loss. Jessops recorded revenue of £19.8m in its latest financial year, representing an increase of 6.5% compared with the previous year. However, the company reported a pre-tax loss of £1m. That loss was lower than the £1.17m pre-tax loss recorded in 2024.

The figures underline the challenge facing AO as it takes control of the business. Although Jessops has retained a recognised name and specialist position in the photography market, the retailer has also faced significant financial and structural pressures over a prolonged period.

The company’s difficulties became particularly visible during the retail upheaval of the past decade. Peter Jones’ investment group acquired Jessops out of administration in 2013 after the chain collapsed under financial pressure.

Jones, who built much of his business career around mobile phones and technology, purchased the Jessops brand with the intention of operating it primarily as an online retailer. He did not acquire the chain’s existing network of 187 stores at the time, and more than 1,370 employees were made redundant during the restructuring.

The business later returned to physical retailing, with dozens of stores eventually reopening. However, Jessops encountered further financial difficulties. The company entered administration again in 2019 and subsequently faced another administration process in 2021.

The Covid-19 pandemic created additional difficulties for retailers across Britain, with photography and camera businesses particularly exposed to the disruption caused by restrictions on travel, events and social activities. By 2021, Jessops had been reduced to 17 shops, reflecting the scale of the restructuring it had undergone.

The company now has seven remaining stores, and those outlets have become part of the business acquired by AO. The future performance of the physical stores will therefore form part of AO’s broader challenge as it attempts to combine a specialist retail operation with its predominantly online business model.

AO founder and chief executive John Roberts welcomed Jessops into the company, saying he expected the business to grow while also becoming integrated into AO’s wider operations. The company has not provided a detailed timetable for changes to Jessops stores, staffing arrangements or its existing retail structure.

AO expects to use its larger scale, online reach and operational experience to support Jessops during the next 12 months. The company believes the combination could give the camera retailer additional opportunities to reach consumers while benefiting from AO’s established logistics and digital retail capabilities.

For consumers, the acquisition could eventually mean a broader range of electrical and technology products available through the AO ecosystem. Cameras and photography equipment occupy a specialist market, with customers often looking for technical knowledge, product variety and support alongside competitive prices.

Jessops has historically been a familiar name among British photography enthusiasts, particularly because of its specialist focus. Maintaining that specialist identity while taking advantage of AO’s larger corporate structure is likely to be an important part of the transition.

The acquisition also reflects a broader change in the UK retail sector, where established retailers are increasingly looking for ways to combine new product sales with resale, refurbishment and other forms of extending product life. Secondhand electronics have become an important part of the market as consumers seek alternative ways to buy technology and retailers look for additional sources of revenue.

AO’s existing ownership of musicMagpie provides a clear example of that strategy. With Camera Jungle now joining the group, the company will have a presence in another specialist secondhand market where cameras, lenses and accessories can retain significant value after their original purchase.

The deal also represents a new chapter for Peter Jones and the Jessops brand. Jones rescued the company from administration in 2013 and spent years attempting to rebuild its position in the changing retail environment. The transfer to AO now places the brand under the ownership of a company whose origins and expertise are closely linked to online electrical retailing.

AO itself began in 2000 after Roberts made a small wager with a friend that he could change the way consumers purchased household appliances over the internet. What started as an online-focused business has since developed into a broader electrical retailer, with its expansion increasingly extending beyond its original core categories.

The Jessops acquisition is consistent with that evolution. Rather than relying solely on traditional household appliances, AO is attempting to build a broader technology and electrical retail proposition while adding businesses that can provide specialist expertise and access to different customer groups.

The immediate financial contribution from Jessops remains uncertain because AO has not disclosed the purchase price and the camera retailer has recently reported a pre-tax loss. However, AO has indicated that it sees longer-term potential in the business and expects its own scale and infrastructure to contribute to growth.

The coming year will therefore be important for determining how effectively the two businesses can be combined. Jessops brings a recognised heritage, specialist camera knowledge, physical stores and a growing secondhand photography operation, while AO contributes a much larger online retail platform and established experience in electrical products and recommerce.

The acquisition ultimately places Jessops in a new phase after years of ownership changes, administrations and restructuring. For AO, it represents another attempt to broaden its appeal and strengthen its position across the increasingly diverse UK electrical and technology retail market.