Tesco plc

Tesco began in 1919 when Jack Cohen started selling groceries from a market stall in London. It has since developed into a multinational retailer operating across the UK, Republic of Ireland, Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia, alongside its Booker wholesale business.

Tesco’s core activities are large-format supermarkets, convenience stores, online grocery, rapid delivery through Whoosh, and wholesale supply. In the financial year ended February 2026, group revenue excluding VAT and including fuel was £73.7 billion, while the business employed more than 340,000 colleagues.

Its main competitive strengths are scale, customer data and omnichannel execution. Tesco held 28.2% of the UK grocery market in the 12 weeks to 17 May 2026, while Clubcard, the Tesco app, online grocery and Whoosh support personalised pricing, customer retention and flexible fulfilment.