Argos (retailer)
| Formerly | Argos Distributors Limited (1973–1999) |
|---|---|
| Company type | Subsidiary |
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | 1973 |
| Founder | Richard Tompkins |
| Headquarters | London, England |
Number of locations | 709 (2023) |
Area served |
|
Key people | Simon Roberts (CEO) |
| Products | Consumer goods |
| Brands | Bush Chad Valley Habitat Tu |
| Revenue | £4.23 billion (2024) |
| £38.6 million (2024) | |
| Owner | Sainsbury's |
Number of employees | 7,731 (2024) |
| Parent | Argos Holdings Limited |
| Website | argos |
Argos Limited is a British retailer founded in 1973 by Richard Tompkins.
Tompkins established Argos by evolving his existing Green Shield Stamps concept. Argos retained Green Shield Stamps' catalogue-store model, where customers browse from a book rather than from shelves. In 1979, Argos was acquired by BAT Industries. Over the years, it became a prominent trader in toys, jewellery, electronics, and home furnishings. In 1996, Argos expanded into Ireland. In 1998, Argos was acquired by the GUS plc conglomerate and expanded to reach a peak of 800 standalone stores. GUS was later spun-off to form Home Retail Group, with Argos as its flagship retailer. From 2007 to 2009, Argos traded in India, and from 2011 to 2013, Argos traded in China.
In 2016, Home Retail Group (including Argos) was acquired by Sainsbury's, which introduced Argos concessions in its main stores and Argos Collection Points in Sainsbury’s Local outlets. Since then, many standalone Argos branches have been closed, and the print catalogue has since been discontinued in favour of its consumer website, and integrating tablets within its stores. In June 2023, Argos exited the Irish market due to poor trading conditions and high costs.
As of September 2025, Argos has 664 stores across the United Kingdom, 211 of which are standalone.