RS UK & Ireland

What RS UK & Ireland does

RS UK & Ireland (legal entity: RS Components Limited) is a B2B distributor of industrial and electronic products, operating as the home-market subsidiary of London-listed RS Group plc. Headquartered in Corby, the business runs the uk.rs-online.com e-commerce platform alongside a branch collection network and, from 2024, a DHL Parcel delivery partnership. Its catalogue contains more than 875,000 in-stock products sourced from over 2,500 supplier partners, spanning hand tools, fasteners, electrical components, test and measurement equipment, and a growing single-board computer / IoT range under the OKdo brand. The company also offers an 80,000+ SKU own-brand RS PRO range (launched 2016), the Product Plus non-catalogue sourcing service, RS ControlStock and RS ScanStock inventory management, and calibration services.

Revenue mechanics are catalogue-driven B2B distribution with credit terms available to qualifying buyers; pricing is not publicly listed. Customer segmentation is broad and deliberately diversified across Manufacturing & Industrial, Design Engineers, Education, and Maintenance & Operations, with no publicly named anchor accounts. The DesignSpark engineering community (~1.3 million members) and pre-qualifications including ISO 9001/14001/45001/17025, ESD S20.20, Cyber Essentials, EcoVadis Gold, JOSCAR (defence), RISQS (rail), and Achilles Network registration position the business to serve regulated industrial buyers as well as long-tail SMB and education customers.

Name

RS UK & Ireland

Legal name

RS Components Limited

Website

https://uk.rs-online.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1938

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

RS UK & Ireland (RS Components Limited) is a B2B distributor of industrial and electronic products, serving manufacturing, design engineers, education, and maintenance customers through an 875,000+ SKU catalogue, RS PRO own-brand, and e-commerce plus branch collection channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Distribution

NAICS

Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers (425)

SIC

Wholesale-Electronic Parts & Equipment, Nec (5065), Wholesale-Industrial Machinery & Equipment (5084), Wholesale-Professional & Commercial Equipment & Supplies (5040)

akta.pro primary industry

B2B Marketplaces & Wholesale Platforms (BPAMAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Wholesale/B2B Generalist Marketplaces (CRAFAAAF)

Keywords

• Industrial component distribution
• Electronic component supply
• Automation control equipment
• Engineering supplies distribution
• Maintenance repair operations

Headquarters

HQ city

Corby

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Product Sales: Distribution and sale of over 875,000 in-stock industrial and electronics products from over 2,500 partner suppliers. Core revenue stream from B2B sales of components, tools, automation equipment, and industrial supplies.
2. RS ControlStock™ Services: Value-added inventory management services with terminal devices and secure storage areas for customers to hold and withdraw products. Revenue from product sales within the controlled inventory system.
3. RS ScanStock® Services: Storage management services providing minimum inventory levels with scanning technology for tracking product withdrawal.
4. RS PRO Own-Brand Products: Sale of proprietary RS PRO branded products (80,000+ items) offering high-quality, competitively priced industrial products and electronic components.
5. Calibration Services: Laboratory calibration services for test and measurement equipment, subject to RS Maintenance Solutions terms and conditions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

RS UK & Ireland is a B2B industrial and electronics product distributor offering over 875,000 in-stock products from 2,500+ manufacturer partners, complemented by an own-brand RS PRO range of 80,000+ products. The company provides integrated supply solutions including inventory management services (RS ControlStock and RS ScanStock), non-catalogue sourcing (Product Plus), calibration services, and the DesignSpark online engineering community serving manufacturing, maintenance, and design customers in the UK and Ireland.

Product overview

RS UK & Ireland is a B2B distributor of industrial and electronics products offering over 800,000 in-stock products from over 2,500 partner suppliers. The portfolio includes the RS PRO own-brand range (80,000+ products), DesignSpark online engineering community (1.3M+ members), and OKdo single-board computing/IoT brand. Inventory management is supported through RS ControlStock™ (point-of-use terminal devices) and RS ScanStock® (minimum inventory storage). Product Plus enables sourcing of non-catalogue items for corporate customers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• RS PRO: Own-brand range offering 80,000+ high-quality, competitively priced industrial products and electronic components, backed by the RS Seal of Approval
• RS DesignSpark
• OKdo

Products and services

• Industrial and Electronics Product Catalogue
• RS PRO
• RS DesignSpark
• OKdo
• RS ControlStock
• RS ScanStock
• Product Plus
• Calibration Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 875,000 in-stock products available for immediate dispatch
• +3 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• 2,500+ Manufacturers and SupplierscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRS partners with over 2,500 globally recognised manufacturers and suppliers who bring the latest industrial and electronics products to market to support customer needs. This extensive supplier network is central to RS's ability to offer over 875,000 in-stock products.
• DHL ParcelcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDHL Parcel is RS's main UK parcel carrier, offering enhanced services including real-time track and trace, delivery rearrangement options, and access to ServicePoints and safeplace delivery. DHL Parcel has a national network of more than 50 sites and 3,000+ vehicles.
• DesignSpark Community PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRS DesignSpark online engineering community has over 1.3 million members who share ideas, use design resources, and learn about practising engineering responsibility. Community partners contribute to the ecosystem.
• Achilles NetworkmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRS Components is fully registered as a supplier on the Achilles Network with Silver award membership, Silver+ UVDB registration, and UVDB B2 audit certificate, enabling participation in supply chain qualification programmes.
• Electronic Components Supply Network (ECSN)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerECSN membership provides access to in-depth statistics and analysis of the electronic components market, helping guide range development decisions and providing networking opportunities.
• EcoVadismajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRS has achieved the highest EcoVadis certification for corporate social responsibility, with assessment covering 21 sustainability criteria across Environment, Labour & Human Rights, Ethics and Sustainable Procurement.
• Institute of Healthcare Engineering and Estate Management (IHEEM)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRS is an affiliate member of IHEEM, an independent engineering institute providing guidance for engineers and estate managers in the healthcare sector.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Farnell / element14: Direct global competitor in B2B electronic and industrial component distribution, operating in the same UK market with comparable breadth of catalogue, technical resources, and same-day dispatch. Highly overlapping customer base among design engineers and manufacturing buyers.
• Mouser Electronics: World's largest NPI-focused electronic component distributor with very broad catalogue, strong parametric search, and aggressive expansion in UK/EU. Directly competes for design-engineer wallet share and benchmarks RS on breadth, speed, and digital UX.
• Rapid Electronics: UK-headquartered industrial and electronics distributor serving design, production, and MRO customers with comparable catalogue and educational outreach. Direct competitor in the UK & Ireland market across similar SKUs and customer segments.
• DigiKey Electronics: Premier digital-first electronic component distributor with millions of SKUs and industry-leading search/parametric tools. Direct competitor for engineering buyers and increasingly for production procurement, pushing RS to invest in catalogue and platform capabilities.

Regional players

• Distrelec (RS Group subsidiary): RS Group-owned industrial and electronics distributor focused on continental Europe and Switzerland. Sister entity under the same parent, sharing suppliers, product data, and own-brand strategy while serving a different geographic footprint.

Broad incumbents

• Conrad Electronic: European broad-line distributor of industrial, electronic, and technical supplies serving B2B and prosumer segments. Direct competitor in product breadth and customer base across DACH and adjacent European geographies.
• Arrow Electronics: Global broad-line electronics distributor and authorised channel partner for semiconductors and connectors. Overlaps with RS on industrial and electronic components at the upper end of the customer base, with a wider franchise but less depth in MRO and education.
• Würth Elektronik / Würth Industry: European industrial and electronic components group combining a broad catalogue distribution arm with a major component manufacturing franchise. Comparable in scale and breadth, with deeper vertical integration into passive and electromechanical components.
• Newark / Avnet: Avnet-owned broad-line electronic component distributor competing with RS in EMEA via Farnell (parent overlap) and Newark. Larger global incumbent with broader semiconductor franchise and similar design-engineer engagement model.

Emerging players

• TME (Transfer Multisort Elektronik): European electronic component distributor rapidly expanding catalogue depth and UK/EU logistics. Competes on breadth and pricing in components, automation, and passives, increasingly overlapping RS's catalogue for engineering buyers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WeAreRSGroup
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCad2C5AV8SYqke58Y5wCuCg
• Facebookfacebook.com/WeAreRSGroupPLC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rs-uk-ireland
• Instagraminstagram.com/wearersgroup
• TikToktiktok.com/@wearersgroup

Compliance13 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about RS UK & Ireland