National Roll out with Local Precision – Tesco Express

The roll out of Tesco’s ‘Express’ brand all began on garage forecourts, with its first store opening in a petrol station in Barnes, southwest London in 1994. This smaller format was designed to offer convenient shopping options in urban and suburban areas where larger supermarket formats might not be feasible.

The ‘Esso Alliance’ that formed in 1998 accelerated growth, but Tesco’s first major move into the UK’s convenience market began with the acquisition of T&S Stores in 2002- a portfolio of 870 convenience shops, many of which were to be later converted to the ‘Tesco Express’ fascia.

Soon after, Tesco began to assemble a team of in-house acquisition surveyors, with a brief to identify and source new opportunities. This team then sought expert support from commercial property agents, reaching out to Brasier Freeth (in it’s earlier ‘pre-merger’ identity as ‘Brasier Harris’) as a potential partner, being a well-established and trusted name in national retail property acquisition

For more than two decades since, Brasier Freeth has proudly partnered with Tesco, assisting in acquiring around 150–200 new sites across that time. Site suitability is a complex equation, balancing a number of factors such as size and demographics of any given catchment, competitive presence, as well as access and customer parking provisions. However the sourcing and introduction of any potential site location is only the very start of the process.

Practical considerations, including town planning considerations, plant solutions and delivery logistics, handover specifications, and cost-effective fit-out feasibility, all require close collaboration with Tesco’s consultant and technical teams, from project managers and architects to planning and highways consultants and solicitors — ensuring every new store delivers on brand and operational standards.

Tesco Express has proved immensely popular and today stands as a flagship success story in British retailing, celebrating its 2,000th store opening in March 2023. Brasier Freeth having partnered with Tesco throughout this journey remain dedicated to supporting Tesco with the future growth of this accessible, community-focused retailing across the UK.