Sir John Edward Cohen (born Jacob Kohen; 6 October 1898 – 24 March 1979) was an English businessman who founded the Tesco supermarket chain.

[1] After serving in the Royal Flying Corps in the First World War, Cohen opened a market stall in Hackney, London in 1919.

[2][3][4] His family were Jewish: his father, Avroam Kohen, was a Polish immigrant from Łódź who worked as a tailor, and his mother was Sime Zaremba.

[3] In 1917, he volunteered to join the Royal Flying Corps where he used his tailoring skills as a canvas maker for balloons and other aircraft.

But just as it reached its destination, Alexandria on the 31st, it struck a mine that had been laid at the harbour entrance a few days earlier by the German submarine SM UC-34.

[3] Cissie was a great supporter of her husband's business interests, so much so that the money they received as wedding gifts was invested in a wholesale venture.

[3][9][10] Cohen was reluctant to return to tailoring after the First World War, and he established himself as a market stall holder in Hackney, in London's East End, by purchasing surplus NAAFI stock with his £30 demob money.

Cohen and his wife Elizabeth worked seven days a week, starting at dawn and counting money until late.

The new strategy was led by Kreitman, who understood how to manage this new style of shop and the crucial tasks of mass buying, selling and logistics.

[3][11] He expanded the company by takeovers and mergers, making it the fourth largest chain in the United Kingdom by 1968 (behind Co-op, Fine Fare, and Allied Suppliers).

[13] In 2009, an English Heritage blue plaque was placed at 91 Ashfield Street, Whitechapel, London, where Cohen lived as a child.