Gordon Thompson, 34, stole a laptop from the House of Reeves in Croydon on 8 August before setting fire to a sofa.
The Old Bailey trial in February heard that he told another man "it was me" as he walked away from the blaze.
Thompson, of Waddon Road, Croydon, changed his plea to guilty at the end of the prosecution case.
He had previously looted two other stores, Iceland and House of Fraser, before turning on the Reeves furniture store, the court heard.
Following Thompson's guilty plea jurors were ordered to find him not guilty of charges of violent disorder and arson with intent to endanger life.
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said the sentence given to Thompson was the longest to date in connection with the riots...
...The blaze was so fierce buildings on the opposite side of the road caught fire and tram lines in the road were damaged.
One woman, Monika Konczyk, who lived opposite the Reeves store, was forced to jump from the building where she lived to escape the flames...
...In mitigation, Adam Davis QC, for Thompson, said the defendant had been depressed following his divorce and had not intended to cause the damage.
He said Thompson wanted to apologise "to all those involved and in particular the Reeves family for what happened as a result of his reckless actions and apologise for the loss that he has caused them".
Following the sentencing Jenny Hopkins from the Crown Prosecution Service said Thompson's "callous actions had recklessly endangered the lives of many innocent people".
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