What we do
Made in London
The first Tesco store
Jack buys land and expands
At the outbreak of World War II, Jack even introduced rationing ahead of the government, so that everyone was treated equally, rich or poor.
First self-service
Bringing self-service to Britain in 1946, Jack Cohen travelled to America and brought back an idea that would change the face of British shopping.
Jack Cohen decided to venture into self-service following a research visit to North America. The first of these new stores opened in St Albans, Hertfordshire in 1948 with a mixed reaction from customers at first.
A rapid expansion
We bought 19 Burnards stores. Over the next five years, 500 new stores were purchased.
500 new stores in five years
Putting our stamp on things
End of an era
Our founder, Jack Cohen, passed away.
Growth helps us bring better value to customers