Tesco
British supermarket history
The story of Tesco
Jack Cohen began market trading in London after the First World War. Tesco grew through grocery stores, self-service, supermarkets, petrol stations, Clubcard and international expansion.
Ownership and development
Tesco plc. Jack Cohen began market trading in London after the First World War. Tesco grew through grocery stores, self-service, supermarkets, petrol stations, Clubcard and international expansion.
Branding through the years
Historic Tesco tea and store signs; changing red-blue corporate identity; Every Little Helps advertising platform from the 1990s.
Historical milestones
- 1919 | Jack Cohen starts market trading
- 1930s | Store expansion
- 1940s | Self-service era
- 1990s | Every Little Helps and Clubcard era
Archive and image rights
Consult the linked historical source for further research. Archive images, logos and packaging should only be reproduced with suitable permission or a verified reuse licence.
Branding through the years
Historical images and clearly identified reconstructions.
Tesco St Peters Street, St Albans, photographed in 2004; site of Tesco first self-service shop, opened 1948. This is NOT a 1948 photograph.
Archival photograph of the brand at this point in its history.
Image: Gary Houston · CC0 1.0 · Original source ↗Historical image archive
Image: Gary Houston · CC0 1.0 · Original source ↗
Brand timeline
Jack Cohen starts market trading
Store expansion
Self-service era
Every Little Helps and Clubcard era
Community memories
Personal recollections from visitors. These are not independently verified historical facts.
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