First independent Jack’s discount store opens in England

Booker has opened the first independently operated Jack’s store in England, marking the latest in Family Shoppers converting to the fascia.

Jack’s of Normanby opened in Cleveland in the north-east last month.

The brand was initially unveiled by Tesco as a discount supermarket in 2018, and the store is part of a trial where it has been made available as a symbol group format.

Jack’s own-label range to roll out in Londis

Owner Vijay Kalikannan said the decision to convert from a Family Shopper was due to the range available. “Customers already associate it with the Tesco brand and it’s really good on value.

“We’re the first in England, and we’ve been performing really well with chilled, frozen and alcohol.

Booker has given us 570 lines so far and this is expected to extend to 700. Our average basket spend has increased from £5 to £8 since switching.”

Industry reaction to Booker’s new symbol format Jack’s

The relaunch of the shop comes as Glasgow retailer Mo Razzaq became the first independent retailer to open a Jack’s symbol store after converting his Family Shopper in Blantyre. When Better Retailing exclusively revealed the trial in October, retail analysts said there was a strong likelihood Booker would switch its Family Shopper estate to the new format.

The wholesaler had targets of opening 400 Family Shopper stores over four years when it was launched in 2014. However, there are currently 80 Family Shopper sites across the UK.

Read more about Jack’s discount chain