Tesco.com
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Type of site
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Online retailer |
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| Available in | English |
| Owner | Tesco |
| Created by | Tesco |
| Website | www.tesco.com |
| Alexa rank |
 1,677 (April 2014[update]) |
| Commercial | Yes |
| Launched | 2000 |
| Current status | Active |
Tesco.com is an electronic commerce website operated by Tesco. It offers a wide range of other products, including electronic goods, books, broadband and financial services.
Tesco has operated on the Internet since 1994 and started an online shopping service named 'Tesco Direct' in 1997. Concerned with poor web response times (in 1996, broadband was virtually unknown in the UK), Tesco offered a CDROM-based off-line ordering program which would connect only to download stock lists and send orders. This was in addition to, rather than instead of, ordering via web forms, but was withdrawn in 2000. Tesco.com was formally launched in 2000. It also has online operations in the Republic of Ireland and South Korea. In 2003, tesco.com's CEO at the time, John Browett, received the Wharton Infosys Business Transformation Award for the innovative processes he used to support this online grocery service.
In 2001, Tesco.com invested in GroceryWorks, a joint venture with the American Safeway Inc. (who had long since sold-off their UK subsidiary and Tesco's former rival, Safeway plc), operating in the United States and Canada. GroceryWorks had stepped into the void left by the collapse of Webvan, but did not expand as fast as initially expected and Tesco sold its stake to Safeway Inc in 2006.
Tesco claimed in its 2005 annual report to be able to serve 98% of the UK population from its 300 participating stores. In the financial year ended 24 February 2007, it recorded online sales up 29.2% to £1.2 billion and profit up 48.5% to £83 million, with over 250,000 orders per week.
Tesco launched its first home shopping catalogue in autumn 2006, as another channel for sales of its non-food ranges. This is integrated with the internet operation, with both channels being branded as "Tesco Direct".
Tesco launched an advertising campaign for its internet phone, marketing the service to customers by offering free calls to all other Tesco internet phone customers.
On 1 October 2006, Tesco announced it would be selling six own-brand budget software packages for under £20 each, including office and security suites, in a partnership with software firm Formjet. As Formjet is exclusive distributor for Panda Security and Ability Plus Software, packages from these companies are likely to feature.
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