Alba

Alba Origins

Alba, the audio company, was established in 1917 or 1918 by Alfred Balcombe in the United Kingdom. It began manufacturing radio sets from 1922 and played a significant role in the development of the British radio and television industry. The company was later known as Alba Group in the 1960s, focusing on low-cost consumer products.

Alba acquired its rival Bush in 1988, and was bought by the Home Retail Group, the parent company of the retailer Argos in 2008, who in turn was taken over by J Sainsbury plc in 2016. Products bearing the brand name were primarily sold at Argos, and to a lesser extent at Sainsbury's. The Alba brand was quietly dropped by Sainsbury's in 2022 and replaced by its more upmarket sister brand Bush, which has a similar history.