Victor Value - Definition and Overview

Victor Value was a London-based supermarket group operating at the lower end of the grocery trade in the 1960s. It was owned and run by Neville Cohen (supposedly a relation of Jack Cohen, founder of Tesco). Its HQ was in Waltham Cross (Dairyglen House) and the private label brand name was Dairyglen.

The Victor Value chain comprised a lot of fairly "grotty" looking stores, including some former Anthony Jackson Foodfare outlets, which it acquired in the early 1960s. It was well represented in what one might call the C2D areas, and was also well represented in market areas such as Chapel Market Islington, Church Street Paddington, and Leyton High Road.

Victor Value was not getting anywhere in the market, especially against its main rivals in those days, Tesco and FineFare. Eventually a deal was done and the chain was sold to Tesco for a mere £1m. The deal was signed in the back of Jack Cohen's Rolls Royce, parked up in a Hertfordshire layby.

Victor Value was often known as VV. The name came from the handles on the doors of the store, which read "VV" when shut.