Tesco

Tesco plc is a large shopping company from the United Kingdom. It started in Hackney, London in 1919 by Sir Jack Cohen. Today, its main office is in Welwyn Garden City, England. For many years, Tesco has been one of the biggest shopping companies in the world.

In the United Kingdom, Tesco is the biggest grocery shop. It also has stores in places like Czechia, Ireland, Slovakia, the Isle of Man, and Hungary.

Since the 1960s, Tesco has sold many things besides food, like books, clothes, electronics, furniture, toys, petrol, software, and even financial services and telecommunications. In the 1990s, Tesco made special product groups called "Tesco Value" for low-cost items and "Tesco Finest" for premium goods.

Tesco’s shares are sold on the London Stock Exchange and it is part of the important FTSE 100 Index.

History

Jack Cohen started Tesco in 1919. He sold leftover groceries from a market stall in London. The name "Tesco" came from a tea supplier and Cohen’s last name. In 1931, he opened the first Tesco shop in Burnt Oak, Edgware, Middlesex.

Tesco grew by opening more shops and buying smaller chains. It introduced a loyalty card called Clubcard in 1995 and began online shopping. Tesco opened stores in many countries but later sold some of these. The company tried new ideas, like making films and selling music and books, before focusing on supermarkets again. Today, Tesco continues to change and grow while supporting charitable causes.

UK operations

As of April 2024, Tesco had many types of shops across the UK.

Tesco Extra shops are very large and usually located outside towns. They sell almost everything Tesco offers. One of the largest is in Walkden, England.

Tesco Superstores are big supermarkets with many groceries and fewer non-food items. Some have cafes inside, and since 2013, some have added small restaurants.

Tesco Express shops are smaller, found in busy areas or near petrol stations. They sell everyday items like snacks and drinks, along with basic groceries.

Tesco also sells fuel at many of its stores. They offer different types of petrol and have worked with Esso to run some petrol stations together.

Tesco started online shopping in 1984 when a customer in Gateshead, England, bought groceries from home using a television. Today, Tesco has special centers that help prepare online orders for quick delivery or pickup.

In 1995, Tesco introduced the Clubcard, a loyalty card that lets customers earn points for their purchases. These points can be used for discounts in stores or for special deals like holidays. Points can also be turned into airline miles with some partners.

Subsidiaries

Booker Group

Main article: Booker Group

Tesco bought a food wholesaler named Booker in March 2018. Booker owns brands like Budgens, Londis, Euro Shopper, and Premier Stores. These brands are run by local owners.

Tesco Bank

In the United Kingdom, Tesco offers financial services through Tesco Bank. This used to work with The Royal Bank of Scotland. Tesco Bank offers things like credit cards, loans, mortgages, savings accounts, and insurance. People can learn about these products in Tesco stores or on their website. In July 2008, Tesco bought the rest of the company from The Royal Bank of Scotland.

F&F

F&F started in 2001 in Tesco's UK and Ireland stores as Florence & Fred. By 2010, it opened its own stores, first in London, and later in many countries and online.

Tesco Mobile

Tesco has a mobile phone service in several countries. It began in the UK in 2003 with O2. Tesco Mobile uses O2's network but does not own its own network. In 2011, it had over 2.5 million customers in the UK.

Tesco Marketplace

Tesco Marketplace is an online shop where customers can find many more items than in regular Tesco stores. It works with other sellers to offer things like pet supplies, beauty products, home goods, toys, and more. Customers can still earn Clubcard points when they shop here.

Tesco Real Food

Tesco Real Food is a website with recipes and food ideas. It started in 2010 and has many recipes tested by experts. Users can rate recipes, save them, and even plan meals for the week.

Tesco Tech Support

Tesco bought a small IT support company called The PC Guys in 2007. This helped them start Tesco Tech Support in December 2008.

Former operations

Tesco has tried many types of stores over the years. In the 1960s, they added a section called Tesco Home 'n' Wear for non-food items. Later, they opened stores called Tesco Homeplus that sold clothes and home goods, but these closed by 2015.

Tesco also had Tesco Metro stores. These were bigger than small Tesco Express shops but smaller than large superstores. They were mostly in city centers. In 2021, Tesco stopped using the Metro name. Most of these stores became either Tesco Express or regular superstores.

Tesco owned other businesses like Dobbies Garden Centres, Harris + Hoole coffee shops, Giraffe restaurants, and Euphorium Bakery, but sold them between 2016 and 2022. In 2018, Tesco started a budget chain called Jack’s, but it closed in 2022.

International operations

Tesco expanded its stores from the United Kingdom to 11 other countries. Tesco left the United States in 2013 but grew in other places. Tesco worked with local partners to fit local needs, like with Samsung Group in South Korea and Charoen Pokphand in Thailand. They also hired many local people for management jobs and bought smaller companies to grow.

The following table shows the number of stores, store sizes, and sales for Tesco's international operations as of April 2012.

Czech Republic

Tesco entered the Czech Republic in 1996 by buying Kmart's stores and renaming them. In 2005, they bought Carrefour's stores too. Tesco became a leader there, with over 322 stores by 2012. They also added petrol stations and personal finance services.

Hungary

Tesco started in Hungary in 1994 by buying S-Market. Now, they have over 200 stores and also sell clothes and personal finance services.

Slovakia

Tesco entered Slovakia in 1996 by buying Kmart's stores. In 2010, they opened their first big Tesco Extra store in Bratislava.

Ireland

Tesco first tried Ireland in the 1980s but left in 1986. They returned in 1997 by buying Power Supermarkets Ltd. Now they have 154 stores and offer many services like home delivery, petrol, mobile phones, and more.

Spain, Portugal, and Gibraltar

Tesco runs six stores in Spain, Portugal, and Gibraltar under "The Food Co.". They started in 2019 in Spain and added more stores later. All products come from Britain.

India

Tesco has a small presence in India with a service centre in Bangalore. In 2008, they planned to open a wholesale business in Mumbai with Tata Group. By 2014, they opened Star Bazaar and Star Daily supermarkets.

Pakistan

In 2017, Tesco partnered with Limestone Private Limited to sell their products in Alpha Superstores across Pakistan.

Former operations

China

In 2004, Tesco bought part of Hymall in China and later opened many stores, mainly around Shanghai. In 2020, Tesco left China and sold their share.

France

In 1992, Tesco bought part of Catteau in France but sold it in 1997 after losing money. They also opened a wine store in Calais in 1997, which closed in 2010.

Hong Kong

In 2015, Tesco joined with China Resources Vanguard to run convenience stores called U Select.

India

Tesco has a small presence in India with a service centre in Bangalore. In 2008, they planned to open a wholesale business in Mumbai with Tata Group. By 2014, they opened Star Bazaar and Star Daily supermarkets.

Japan

Tesco entered Japan in 2003 by buying C Two-Network, which owned Tsurukame stores. In 2011, Tesco left Japan and sold their shares to ÆON.

Malaysia

In 2000, Tesco joined with Sime Darby Berhad to open hypermarkets in Malaysia. They bought Makro in 2006 and added more stores. In 2020, Tesco sold their Malaysia operations to Charoen Pokphand Group.

Pakistan

In 2017, Tesco partnered with Limestone Private, owner of Alpha Superstores, to sell their products across Pakistan.

Poland

Tesco entered Poland in 1995 by buying local chains. They opened many stores and an online service. In 2019, Tesco left Poland and sold to Salling Group, who rebranded the stores as Netto.

South Korea

Main article: Homeplus

In 1999, Tesco joined with Samsung C&T to run Homeplus stores. Tesco became the main owner and later sold Homeplus to MBK Partners in 2015.

Taiwan

Tesco entered Taiwan in 2000 but left in 2005, selling to Carrefour.

Thailand

In 1998, Tesco joined with Charoen Pokphand to run Tesco Lotus. By 2013, it was one of Tesco's biggest businesses. In 2020, Tesco sold Tesco Lotus back to Charoen Pokphand.

Turkey

In 2003, Tesco entered Turkey by buying Kipa supermarket chain. They opened many stores but left in 2017, selling to Migros Türk.

United States

Main article: Fresh & Easy

Tesco entered the U.S. in 2007 with Fresh & Easy stores on the West Coast. The chain struggled and closed all stores by 2015.

Corporate affairs

Tesco tries to appeal to all kinds of shoppers by offering different types of products, like fancy items, middle-priced goods, and budget options. They also have special food for people who don’t eat animals.

Since 1997, Tesco has used the phrase “The Tesco Way” to explain its goals and values. They have also used new technology, like self-checkout stations and mobile payment options.

In 2010, Tesco made record profits even during tough economic times. But by 2014, competition from other stores hurt their business. Tesco faced problems when it reported higher profits than it actually had, leading to big losses in value. Some leaders of the company were investigated but later cleared of any wrongdoing.

Tesco is a big player in the UK grocery market, holding a large share of sales. In some places, like Inverness, many people shop at Tesco for their groceries.

Tesco has tried to support local communities and charities, promising to give a portion of its profits to help others. They have also provided computers to schools through a customer voucher program. However, they sometimes face criticism for their business practices. For example, they used a phrase that Unicef had reserved for charity, which upset the organization.

Tesco also aims to reduce its environmental impact and has worked on lowering carbon emissions in its supply chain. Unfortunately, they have also faced issues, like selling vegetables with too many pesticides in China.

Advertising

One famous ad from the 1980s was called "Checkout 82." It showed a cash register printing prices with happy music and people singing.

In the early 1990s, ads featured a man named David, played by Dudley Moore. He looked for chickens from France and found many products from around the world at Tesco. Newer ads have included famous people like The Spice Girls and voice-overs from actors James Nesbitt and Jane Horrocks.

Tesco's main slogan is "Every little helps." Their ads usually show products or pictures with prices or special text on a red circle. The company also publishes a magazine in stores. It is the most widely read magazine in the United Kingdom, reaching 1.5 million people as of 2024^[update].

In 2013, Tesco planned to use face-scanning technology at its UK petrol stations to show ads suited to each customer.

Criticism

Main article: Criticism of Tesco

Tesco has faced many challenges and concerns over the years. Some people worry that because Tesco is so big, it might make it hard for smaller shops to stay open. There have also been questions about how Tesco treats animals and workers.

In 2013, some meat products sold by Tesco were found to contain unexpected ingredients. Tesco worked with authorities to understand what went wrong.

The company has also been involved in legal cases and has faced criticism for how it handles some business practices. Despite these challenges, Tesco continues to operate and serve customers in many places.

Chairmen

Here are the leaders of Tesco through the years:

• 1947–1970: Sir Jack Cohen
• 1970–1973: Hyman Kreitman
• 1973–1985: Sir Leslie Porter
• 1985–1997: Lord MacLaurin
• 1997–2004: John Gardiner
• 2004–2011: Sir David Reid
• 2011–2015: Richard Broadbent
• 2015–2023: John Allan
• September 2023–present: Gerry Murphy

Arms

Tesco does not have any arms like weapons. The word "arms" here means business parts of the company. Tesco is a large shopping company with many stores and services around the world.