Tesco loses Jack’s MD Lawrence Harvey to Barclays

Lawrence Harvey, the former Aldi executive who joined Tesco in 2012, and led the value venture, will lead the banking giant’s operations in the South and Southeast regions.

Tesco confirmed his departure, which was first reported by Grocery Insight.

The supermarket giant said Harvey will be replaced as managing director of Jack’s by Sarah Lawler, who has been promoted from the role of business support director.

Harvey’s departure comes at a time when fresh questions are being asked about the long-term future of Jack’s.

Tesco launched the fascia to much fanfare in Chatteris, Cambridgeshire, in September 2018 as part of its fightback against Aldi and Lidl.

Named after Tesco funder Jack Cohen, the chain’s stores carry a more curated range with a keen focus on British produce and low prices, which boss Dave Lewis said would be “the lowest in town”.

Last week, Tesco launched its Aldi Price Match campaign across stores in England, Scotland and Wales, cutting prices on hundreds of grocery staples including bananas, bread and cucumbers.

The move prompted analysts to question the relevance of Jack’s if Tesco was matching Aldi’s prices within its core business.

Tesco launched three Jack’s stores at the end of last year and is understood to be planning further openings in 2020.