Victor Value

Victor Value was a London–based value supermarket group, which operated at the lower end of the grocery trade.

Old Victor Value stores which survived after conversion to Tesco could, for some time, be identified by their distinctive blue and white tiled frontage*. Victor Value was often known as VV, which was their logo. The handles on the doors of the store were often shaped to read "VV" when shut. The Victor Value chain included some former Anthony Jackson Foodfare outlets, which it acquired in the early 1960s. It was well represented in low income C2D areas, and was also well represented in market areas of London, such as Chapel Market Islington, Church Street Paddington, and Leyton High Road.

In 1968, Victor Value had 217 stores, and was sold to Tesco for £1.75 million. Tesco converted many larger branches to their own brand including some to Tesco Home n' Wear,^[1] and closed a number of smaller branches which were in close proximity of an established Tesco store. This was all done fairly quickly and within around eighteen months the name Victor Value had disappeared from the High Street, however some of its fleet of dark blue lorries were still liveried Victor Value into the early seventies.

In the early 1980s, some smaller town centre Tesco stores were rebranded as Victor Value, particularly in the North West England. These town centre stores, including one in Huyton, were used to trial new scanning and bar code technologies, before launching them in Tesco–branded stores.^[2]

In 1986, frozen food supermarket chain, Bejam, purchased the business from Tesco, and rebranded it as Bejam, before the latter was taken over by rival Iceland in 1989.^[2]

Notes

Some former Victor Value stores which still exist today (as Tesco) are Collier Row Romford (the converted Rex cinema); Church Street Paddington*, and Goodge Street* in the West End. (* These were both former Anthony Jacksons stores).

The larger branches of Victor Value in the 60s included Colliers Row Romford, Acton, Church Street Paddington, and Fore Street, Edmonton.

Two of the branches which were converted to Tesco Home'n'Wear were Basildon, Essex, and Farnborough, Hants.

Examples of branches which closed soon after the acquisition by Tesco were Acton (liveried Anthony Jacksons Foodfare, and adjacent to the larger VV store which was converted to Tesco) and Weybridge which was within 100 yards of the larger Tesco Weybridge.

The head office and main central warehouse of Victor Value was at Dairyglen House, Crossbrook Street, Waltham Cross, Herts.

The site of the former head office has since been redeveloped as a housing estate.

The brand name of VVs private label was Dairyglen.^[1] and for non food generics the name "Waltham" was used. (source, national press ad from the 60s)

For some time Victor Value gave S&H Pink stamps but dropped them to save margin, in effect breaching their contract with S&H, and ultimately, after much argument, a financial settlement was agreed and paid to S&H.^[1]

Anthony Jacksons Foodfare were cut price stores that were acquired by VV around 1964, with VV itself being subsequently acquired by Tesco in 1968. AJF was a London-based supermarket chain, operated by Sidney Ingram, the nephew of Sir John Cohen (Jack Cohen).^[1] AJF window advertising included a strapline "Shop with Sheilah", which featured the "personality" of Sheelagh, wife of Sidney Ingram.^[1]

All VV stores played piped music provided by Reditune.

References

External links

• A picture of the Church Street store, in its original "Anthony Jackson Supermarket" livery can be viewed at www.churchstreetmemories.org.uk/page/tesco_supermarket