Ao World PLC
Registered name: AO WORLD PLC
Ao World PLC made £1.3bn revenue and £35.9m profit in the year to 31 Mar 2026.
Ao World PLC’s revenue grew 11% to £1.3bn in the year to 31 Mar 2026, with £35.9m profit and 2,892 employees. The company is classified under “activities of head offices” and is based in Bolton; we hold 3 years of its filed accounts.
- Status
- Active
- Location
- Bolton, North West
- Age
- 21 yrs · since 2005
- Type
- Public Limited Company
Pass-through vehicle. This looks like a holding, staffing or umbrella company. Its revenue and profit may largely pass through to or from other entities, so the figures may not reflect a standalone operating business. It is excluded from our opportunity lists.
Key figures
Badges are automated estimates derived from the filed figures — not statements of fact about the company.
Financial history
| Year to | 31 Mar 2024 | 31 Mar 2025 | 31 Mar 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Disclosure | Full P&L | Full P&L | Full P&L |
| Profit & loss | |||
| Revenue (turnover) | £1bn | £1.1bn | £1.3bn |
| Cost of sales | −£796m | −£862m | −£951m |
| Gross profit | £243m | £276m | £316m |
| Operating profit | £36.2m | £21.1m | £49.4m |
| Profit before tax | £34.3m | £20.6m | £50.5m |
| Profit after tax | £24.7m | £10.5m | £35.9m |
| Profit (best available) | £24.7m | £10.5m | £35.9m |
| Employees (average) | 2,842 | 3,140 | 2,892 |
| Ratios | |||
| Profit margin | 2.4% | 0.9% | 2.8% |
| Gross margin | 23.4% | 24.3% | 25% |
| Revenue per employee | £366k | £362k | £438k |
| Profit per employee | £8.7k | £3.3k | £12.4k |
| Growth (year on year) | |||
| Revenue growth | — | ▲9.4% | ▲11.3% |
| Profit growth | — | ▼57.5% | ▲241.9% |
| Headcount growth | — | ▲10.5% | ▼7.9% |
| Balance sheet — indirect signals, not revenue | |||
| Net assets | — | — | — |
| Source | Accounts · bulk data Oct 2025 | Accounts · bulk data Oct 2025 | Accounts · bulk data Oct 2026 |
How the business works
- Profit margin
- 2.8%
- Profit ÷ revenue.
- Gross margin
- 25%
- Gross profit ÷ revenue. High for software and services.
- Revenue per employee
- £438k
- Revenue ÷ average employees.
- Profit per employee
- £12.4k
- Profit ÷ average employees.
- Cash conversion
- —
- Cash generated from operations ÷ operating profit. Needs a cash-flow statement.
- Fixed assets ÷ revenue
- —
- Capital intensity. Low = capital-light, cheaper to start.
- Deferred income ÷ revenue
- —
- Customers paying upfront (subscriptions, deposits). Approximate when combined with accruals.
- Debtors ÷ revenue
- —
- Money owed by customers. Low = customers pay quickly.
Balance-sheet signals
Year-on-year changes in filed balance-sheet items. They can hint at momentum (or investment) but are not revenue or profit and must not be read as such.
- Net assets
- —
- Now —
- Cash at bank
- —
- Now —
- Headcount
- ▼8%
- Now 2,892
- Deferred income
- —
- Now —
- Fixed assets
- —
- Now —
Group structure
Subsidiaries (16)
- Ao B2B LimitedFigures not disclosed
- Ao Business LimitedFigures not disclosed
- Ao Care LimitedFigures not disclosed
- Ao Club LimitedFigures not disclosed
- Ao Distribution LimitedFigures not disclosed
- Ao Logistics LimitedFigures not disclosed
- Ao LtdFigures not disclosed
- Ao Premium Club LimitedFigures not disclosed
- Ao Recycling LimitedFigures not disclosed
- Ao Rental LimitedFigures not disclosed
- Ao Trade LimitedFigures not disclosed
- Appliances Online LtdFigures not disclosed
- Electrical Appliance Outlet LimitedFigures not disclosed
- Elekdirect LimitedFigures not disclosed
- Mobile Phones Direct LimitedFigures not disclosed
- Worry Free LimitedFigures not disclosed
From the Persons with Significant Control register (corporate controllers only).
Sources
Latest figures from accounts for the year to 31 Mar 2026 (profit £35.9m), from the Companies House accounts bulk data published Oct 2026. Spotted an error? Request a correction.
Contains public sector information from Companies House licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Data from Companies House, © Crown copyright. View the licence.