Latest news with #JackCohen
The Irish Sun
28-05-2025
- Business
- The Irish Sun
People are only just realising the real meaning behind the name Argos – and it may surprise you
YOU may have thumbed through an Argos catalogue over the years, but have you ever stopped to think about the name? It turns out there is a key reason why the brand has its moniker - and its history is also tied to a popular supermarket too (and it's not Sainsbury's). 3 There is a key reason why Argos has its name Credit: Getty 3 Argos is named after the Greek city of Argos Credit: Getty The Argos name doesn't come from its founder - Richard Tompkins - but is taken from the Greek city of Argos. It was also chosen as it would feature high up in alphabetical brand listings. The history behind the brand is even more fascinating than the name - and despite the brand now being owned by Sainsbury's, its early ties were with Tesco. In the 1960s, the founder of Tesco, Sir Jack Cohen, signed up his grocery store chain to the Green Shield Stamps scheme. More on Argos This meant that Tesco customers could get stamps when they bought products at his shop. They could then use stamps to buy products at the Green Shield Stamps catalogue stores which were located around the country. The collaboration proved to be a huge success, and helped Tesco gain loyal customers. It also helped Green Shield Stamps, who was owned by Richard Tompkins, and also gave him the idea that customers could also use cash to buy products from his catalogue. Most read in Fabulous He decided to rebrand Green Shield Stamps as Argos in 1973. Argos actually lost Tesco as a client around 1977, when they ditched using the Green Shield Stamps scheme and focused on lowering prices across the chain. I visited Argos' Clearance Store and couldn't believe how cheap everything was In 1979, Argos was purchased by British American Tobacco and stopped issuing stamps entirely. Just over a decade later, Argos was demerged and floated back on the stock market, but had now become a recognisable household brand. By 2010, over 20 million copies of the catalogue were printed, with many people buying them ahead of Christmas to choose presents. While Argos had major ties to Tesco when it was launched, it now is owned by one of its main rivals. 3 Many Argos stores have closed in recent years and have been integrated into Sainsbury's supermarkets Credit: Getty In April 2016, Argos' parent Home Retail Group agreed to a £1.4 billion takeover by Sainsbury's - but the brand has struggled over the past few years. A large number of the high street Argos stores have closed over the past few years, with many being replaced by an Argos outlet in Sainsbury's stores. A spokesperson for Argos previously told The Sun: "The transformation of our Argos store and distribution network has been progressing at pace for several years now, improving availability, convenience and service for customers. "As part of this, we are continuing to open new Argos stores and collection points in many of our Sainsbury's supermarkets, enabling customers to purchase thousands of technology, home and toy products from Argos while picking up their groceries." HISTORY OF ARGOS FOUNDED in 1972 by Richard Tompkins, Argos revolutionised the British retail landscape with its unique catalogue-based shopping model. The first store opened in Canterbury, Kent and quickly expanded, becoming a household name. Customers could browse the extensive Argos catalogue, fill out a purchase slip, and collect their items from the in-store collection point. The retailer was sold to British American Tobacco Industries in 1979 for £32million before being demerged and listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1990. In April 1998, the company was acquired by GUS plc. Throughout the decades, Argos adapted to changing consumer habits, embracing e-commerce early on and launching its website in 1999. This allowed customers to reserve items online for in-store pick-up, blending the convenience of digital shopping with the immediacy of physical retail. By 2006, Argos became part of the Home Retail Group which was demerged from its parent GUS plc. At the time, Home Retail Group also owned Homebase and Habitat. In 2016, Argos, along with its Home Retail Group sister brand Habitat, was acquired by Sainsbury's. Since the acquisition, the Argos brand has been integrated into Sainsbury's operations, significantly expanding its presence through dedicated concessions within Sainsbury's supermarkets across the UK. However, due to declining sales, Sainsbury's discontinued Argos' iconic printed catalogue in 2020. Despite these setbacks, Argos has remained true to its roots, offering a wide range of products from toys and electronics to furniture and jewellery.
Scottish Sun
28-05-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
People are only just realising the real meaning behind the name Argos – and it may surprise you
Plus, what Argos has said about recent store closures WHAT'S IN A NAME People are only just realising the real meaning behind the name Argos – and it may surprise you Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) YOU may have thumbed through an Argos catalogue over the years, but have you ever stopped to think about the name? It turns out there is a key reason why the brand has its moniker - and its history is also tied to a popular supermarket too (and it's not Sainsbury's). Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 There is a key reason why Argos has its name Credit: Getty 3 Argos is named after the Greek city of Argos Credit: Getty The Argos name doesn't come from its founder - Richard Tompkins - but is taken from the Greek city of Argos. It was also chosen as it would feature high up in alphabetical brand listings. The history behind the brand is even more fascinating than the name - and despite the brand now being owned by Sainsbury's, its early ties were with Tesco. In the 1960s, the founder of Tesco, Sir Jack Cohen, signed up his grocery store chain to the Green Shield Stamps scheme. This meant that Tesco customers could get stamps when they bought products at his shop. They could then use stamps to buy products at the Green Shield Stamps catalogue stores which were located around the country. The collaboration proved to be a huge success, and helped Tesco gain loyal customers. It also helped Green Shield Stamps, who was owned by Richard Tompkins, and also gave him the idea that customers could also use cash to buy products from his catalogue. He decided to rebrand Green Shield Stamps as Argos in 1973. Argos actually lost Tesco as a client around 1977, when they ditched using the Green Shield Stamps scheme and focused on lowering prices across the chain. I visited Argos' Clearance Store and couldn't believe how cheap everything was In 1979, Argos was purchased by British American Tobacco and stopped issuing stamps entirely. Just over a decade later, Argos was demerged and floated back on the stock market, but had now become a recognisable household brand. By 2010, over 20 million copies of the catalogue were printed, with many people buying them ahead of Christmas to choose presents. While Argos had major ties to Tesco when it was launched, it now is owned by one of its main rivals. 3 Many Argos stores have closed in recent years and have been integrated into Sainsbury's supermarkets Credit: Getty In April 2016, Argos' parent Home Retail Group agreed to a £1.4 billion takeover by Sainsbury's - but the brand has struggled over the past few years. A large number of the high street Argos stores have closed over the past few years, with many being replaced by an Argos outlet in Sainsbury's stores. A spokesperson for Argos previously told The Sun: "The transformation of our Argos store and distribution network has been progressing at pace for several years now, improving availability, convenience and service for customers. "As part of this, we are continuing to open new Argos stores and collection points in many of our Sainsbury's supermarkets, enabling customers to purchase thousands of technology, home and toy products from Argos while picking up their groceries."
Daily Record
05-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Record
Tesco shoppers learn mind blowing meaning behind supermarket giant's name
Tesco is a staple of the British high street with its red and white logo a familiar sight for millions of people. But few know the true meaning behind the supermarket's name. Tesco has long been one of Britain's biggest retailers and is a common sight for the millions who visit its stores for their weekly grocery haul. The iconic logo, with its striking red lettering, is a fixture on our high streets, but not many have considered how the brand name came to be. Shoppers are now becoming curious about the history behind Tesco's name. The supermarket traces its roots back to its founder, Jack Cohen, who set up shop in 1919. Cohen, whose parents were Polish Jewish immigrants, started his business selling various goods from a stall in Hackney, London. He invested his demobilisation money from the Royal Flying Corp, where he served during The Great War, into his market stall on its opening day. The name 'TESCO' was conceived in 1923 when Cohen purchased a shipment of tea from a man named Thomas Edward Stockwell. He ingeniously combined the initials of the supplier with the first two letters of his own surname, reports the Express. Cohen opened his first physical store in Edgware, North London, in 1929. From these modest beginnings, the Tesco empire grew, and by 1939, Cohen had 100 shops under his control. The very first Tesco supermarket opened its doors in Essex in 1958. Tesco's official website recounts the evolution of the brand from small-scale stores to the large supermarkets we know today, saying: "The new format store included a counter service selling cheese, butter and meats weighed by sales assistants." Since 1973, Tesco has also brough options for motorists, introducing petrol station at some of its major locations. Since the founder's passing in 1979, his influence lives on, with Tesco's omnipresence across the UK, boasting over 4,000 outlets. Following Mr Cohen's death, the retail firm's brand name continued to grow, with Sir Dudley Moore appearing in TV adverts in the late 1980s. The Tesco Value range was then introduced in 1993 and later that same year Tesco introduced its iconic 'Every Little Helps' tagline. In 2000, Tesco launched its own website. In addition to it's UK stores, today Tesco has outlets in Czechia, Ireland, Slovakia, and Hungary.
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
I Just Learned What Londis Really Stands For, And It's News To Me
I'll be honest ― I had no idea the brand name ASDA stood for anything until recently, when I learned its initials mean 'ASquith + DAiries'. Turns out Tesco's name actually predates the store, too; TES came from supplier TE Stockwell's name, and the Co came from founder Jack Cohen's surname. It was first used for the product Tesco Tea. And now, another fact to bore my beleaguered partner with ― Londis' name is a clever combination of abbreviations too. Per the company's site, the store began in 1959. It was made up of a group of 'progressive independent retail grocers' who wanted to set up a 'fully operational delivered wholesale company owned jointly by the retailers it served.' So it makes sense that, according to Sky News, the name is actually a contraction of London District Stores. In 2004, Irish company Musgrave Wholesale bought the brand's parent company for a pretty inexpensive £31,000. To make things even more confusing, the Musgrave Group purchase was separate from Ireland's most popular version of the store, ADM Londis PLC, which was never bought by Musgrave Wholesale. Since then, Booker has bought both the Musgrave Group's version of Londis and their Budgens stores. Tesco went on to buy Booker in 2018 ― meaning the supermarket giant now also owns the UK version of Londis and Budgens too. Booker also owns Premier, meaning that the brand now belongs to Tesco too. Additionally, Tesco owns One Stop, data science business Dunnhumby, and food and beverage wholesaler Booker, Investopedia wrote in 2023. So, Londis stands for London District Stores but is split between Ireland and the UK (though the British stores were briefly owned and supplied by an Irish company separately). Now, Tesco owns the company ― but not ADM Londis PLC, which is a whole other group. My head hurts... I Just Learned What ASDA Really Stands For, And I Had No Clue I Just Learned What Tesco Really Stands For (And I Had No Clue) I Just Found Out What LEGO Actually Stands For, And It's So Cute
