The new store opens just yards away from site of Tesco-founder Jack Cohen’s first-ever shop, which opened in 1929
Tesco has marked the 30th anniversary of Tesco Express by returning to the same street as the supermarket’s first-ever store – nearly 100 years on.
The Burnt Oak Express store in North London opened on Friday 22 November and is just feet from where Tesco founder Jack Cohen opened his first ever shop in 1929.
The opening coincides with the 30th anniversary of the first Tesco Express stores, which opened their doors in Barnes and Norbury, London, in 1994.
Rinkoo Kansara, Manager of the new Burnt Oak Express, said: “After learning that Jack Cohen opened his first store here, I quickly realised that I had really big boots to fill!
“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.”
Tesco’s Managing Director, UK Stores, Kevin Tindall, said: “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.
“Burnt Oak has a special place in Tesco history, and we’re proud to be serving its local community once again – alongside thousands more across the country.”
To celebrate the opening of Burnt Oak Express, Tesco has donated £1,000 to Unitas, Barnet Youth Zone, which supports young people with special educational needs, and £500 to Barnfield Primary School.
The store estate has been growing steadily since its launch in 1994, reaching 1,000 stores in 2009, and 2,000 with the launch of an Express in Cambridge in 2023.
Today, around 77% of the UK population are within a ten-minute drive of an Express, each stocking an average of 3,000 lines.
Most recently, the roll-out of Tesco’s Whoosh rapid delivery service has used the Express store network to offer deliveries in as little as 20 minutes to around two-thirds of the UK population.
