Argos has bought Alba & Bush

BloodyL · 28 Nov 2008 at 21:34

Home Retail Group, the owner of Argos and Homebase has bought the rights to the Alba and Bush brands.

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/consumer_goods/article5246176.ece

Interesting tactic, to snap up the brands during the economic downturn on the idea that once things pick up they will have a bigger grasp of the marketplace.

Add them to the increasing exclusivity of Richer Sounds's "Acoustic Solutions" and the ownership of the Cookworks and Mikomi brands means that they are really planning some major ownership of the high street.

Greenlizard0 · 28 Nov 2008 at 21:35

Alba and Bush? On Richer Sounds' "Acoustic Solutions"

Something's failed there unless in the last few years both have made huge improvements! :eek:

Steve2000 · 28 Nov 2008 at 21:36

Next stop Sony?

ins0mn1ac · 28 Nov 2008 at 21:37

Still those brands are only a tiny percentage of the electronics they stock, and not to mention they're usually the cheapest of all.

Gothic Draconia · 28 Nov 2008 at 21:42

I remember my Alba personal stereo that had the luxury of a bass boost switch. Oh the joys of fast forwarding to actually rewind. Alba, Bush, Goodmans, all the same ..

BloodyL · 28 Nov 2008 at 21:46

And that is where it ends now, Goodmans will remain a seperate entity.

cheets64 · 28 Nov 2008 at 21:50

They use to be shoody but they have made some decent stuff in the last few years

HangTime · 28 Nov 2008 at 22:55

I've got a Bush alarm clock/radio that I've had since ~1990 and it's still going strong.
If fact, it's probably the oldest electronic device I own.

Snograt · 28 Nov 2008 at 22:59

Damn it - I thought they'd bought Jessica Alba and Kate Bush.

This thread fails to deliver

whitecrook · 28 Nov 2008 at 23:14

HangTime said:
I've got a Bush alarm clock/radio that I've had since ~1990 and it's still going strong.
If fact, it's probably the oldest electronic device I own.

It was n't free with Esso tokens was it? We had some of them - cracking devices. Bullet proof. Mine only failed a couple of years ago.

Indy500 · 28 Nov 2008 at 23:29

So this is why they're only recruiting internally...

HangTime · 29 Nov 2008 at 00:03

whitecrook said:
It was n't free with Esso tokens was it? We had some of them - cracking devices. Bullet proof. Mine only failed a couple of years ago.

Not sure but I doubt it, as it was a present

To be fair the radio tuning is really shaky now, especially the preset dials. You have to wiggle them up and down a lot (perpendicular to the actual angle you use for tuning) to get rid of a crackling sound.

Pigeon_Killer · 29 Nov 2008 at 00:12

HangTime said:
I've got a Bush alarm clock/radio that I've had since ~1990 and it's still going strong.

Bush CR 541? Had mine a similar length of time.

CliffyBiro · 29 Nov 2008 at 00:14

Alba and Bush are awful brands but, strangely, Acoustic Solutions have got better.

Cupra · 29 Nov 2008 at 00:30

my inlaws have a 47"? hdtv thats a bush it seems a good screen

ins0mn1ac · 29 Nov 2008 at 00:32

Has anyone else noticed how cheapy brands like bush/alba have remote controls that seem better suited in a toy shop? and they work every 1 in 52 times you press the button

mattyprice4004 · 29 Nov 2008 at 23:51

I used to love my Alba stereo.

Maybe they exist just for kids to have some fun with (47" HDTV's aside)

Energize · 30 Nov 2008 at 00:52

Crap shop, crap brands.

arknor · 30 Nov 2008 at 02:40

i bet alba and bush are popular with the old people

they must sell well, hopefully it doesnt end up like the silly mail order catalogues where one company owns all of them. :rolleyes:

K.C. Leblanc · 30 Nov 2008 at 10:42

arknor said:
i bet alba and bush are popular with the old people

I don't know about Alba, but Bush are a British brand name going back years and years. These days it's obviously just a brand name bunged on cheap kit from the far east.