UK | Tesco has marked the 30th anniversary of Tesco Express by returning to the same street as its first-ever store, nearly 100 years on.
The Burnt Oak Express store in North London will be the supermarket’s 2,882nd UK store and is just feet from where Tesco founder Jack Cohen opened his first-ever shop in 1929.
The opening coincided with the 30th anniversary of the first Tesco Express stores, which opened their doors in Barnes and Norbury, London, in 1994.
Between 1919 and 1929, Cohen ran his business from a stall in the East End of London, which he founded using his demob money after serving in the Royal Flying Corps during the First World War. He later opened the first Tesco store in Burnt Oak, mainly selling dry goods and his first own-brand product, Tesco Tea.
From those beginnings, Tesco has become the UK’s leading retailer, employing over 300,000 people and trading from 3,600 stores, of which 77 percent are smaller stores.
The retailer now has 2,074 Express stores and has planned to add more than 150 stores over the next three years, creating more than 2,000 jobs in local communities across the UK.
“I’m delighted that we have come full circle and returned to the street where it all began, with Jack Cohen’s first store in Burnt Oak,” said Tesco’s Managing Director, UK Stores, Kevin Tindall.
“Burnt Oak has a special place in Tesco history, and we’re proud to serve its local community once again – alongside thousands more across the country.”
Recently, Tesco announced a huge round of price cuts on more than 200 essential lines in its Express stores to give customers even better value. Products including bread, milk, chicken and coffee saw prices cut by an average of 10 percent.
“After learning that Jack Cohen opened his first store here, I quickly realised that I had really big boots to fill,” said Rinkoo Kansara, Manager of the new Burnt Oak Express.
“We have recruited 19 new colleagues, and I know they are looking forward to supporting the local communities not just with great value products but also through our Stronger Starts scheme and our food donation programme.”
The Burnt Oak opening is just the latest chapter in the Express history. Tesco Express has transformed the convenience of grocery shopping. The store estate has been steadily growing since its launch in 1994, reaching 1,000 stores in 2009 and 2,000 with the launch of an Express in Cambridge in 2023.
Around 77 percent of the UK population are within a ten-minute drive of an Express, each stocking an average of 3,000 lines.
Most recently, Tesco’s Whoosh rapid delivery service has rolled out using the Express store network to offer deliveries in as little as 20 minutes to around two-thirds of the UK population.
