Who owns Argos?
Argos is owned by Sainsbury's (the United Kingdom, LSE: SBRY), which has owned the brand since 2 September 2016.[1] Argos was founded in 1972 in the United Kingdom and was independent until 2016.
This ownership is reported in official statements but has not yet been matched to a regulatory filing.
Key facts
- Current owner
- J Sainsbury plc reported
- Owned since
- Previous owner
- Independent (1972–2016)
- Owner HQ
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom, London
- Origin
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- Founded
- 1972
- Category
- Home, garden & DIY › Retailer own brands › General merchandise own brands
- Parent ticker
- LSE: SBRY
- Last verified
- · 1 sources
About Argos
Argos sold from a laminated catalogue with numbered products collected at a counter, a format almost unique to Britain and Ireland. Sainsbury's acquired it in 2016 and has since moved most of its shops inside supermarkets. Its catalogue ran to well over a thousand pages and was for years one of the largest print runs in Britain, discontinued in 2020 after nearly half a century.
Ownership timeline of Argos
- 2016 – present Sainsbury's [1] reported
Where Argos sits in Sainsbury's
Controlling ownership as of . Brands grouped under the entity that owns them; large groups are collapsed.
Open the full Sainsbury's ownership tree →
Other brands owned by Sainsbury's
Latest news about Argos
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Frequently asked questions
Who is the parent company of Argos?
The parent company of Argos is Sainsbury's, a publicly listed company headquartered in the United Kingdom.
Is Argos British?
Yes. Argos originated in the United Kingdom in 1972 and its owner, Sainsbury's, is also headquartered in the United Kingdom.
Since when has Sainsbury's owned Argos?
Sainsbury's has owned Argos since 2 September 2016.
Who owned Argos before Sainsbury's?
Argos was an independent company from its founding in 1972 until Sainsbury's acquired it in 2016.
Is Argos still owned by Sainsbury's?
Yes. As of 8 September 2026, Argos is still owned by Sainsbury's. The ownership record was last checked against primary sources on that date.
Sources (1) & corrections
Last verified . Every ownership fact above is backed by one of these primary documents. Numbers in brackets in the text refer to this list.
- [1] J Sainsbury plc Annual Report 2025 — J Sainsbury plc, Annual report, published 30 April 2025; retrieved 8 September 2026.
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