Jack's, Fenland Way, Chatteris, Cambs

Image: © P L Chadwick Taken: 15 Jun 2019

Some years ago Tesco intended to open a standard size Tesco supermarket on the current edge of Chatteris. But tough trading conditions meant a rethink and so the store never opened but was put in mothballs. Then last year in order to compete with Lidl, Aldi & other discounters, Tesco decided to run their own discount chain using the brand name Jack's. This was the name of their founder Jack Cohen. The store building at Chatteris was partly utilised as the first Jack's store, opening on the 19th September 2018. Part of the building, the left end, is let to Poundstretcher, a discount store, and part of the building, the right end, is currently (June 2019) available to let. Since this Jack's store opened another nine or so have opened but it seems, at present, that only about five more are planned. The new idea is that the most popular Jack's lines will be sold in a large number of Tesco supermarkets. Whether this will be a successful move against the discounters remains to be seen. Both Aldi & Lidl have hundreds of stores in the UK and are still opening more.

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