Retro Express: Salford newsagents delighting shoppers with brilliant name that looks awfully familiar to Tesco

A newsagents' shop has been praised by shoppers for its 'clever marketing' with its cheeky branding that bears a striking resemblance to Tesco.

Retro Express in Swinton has developed a loyal customer base over the last decade, partly built on its unique name. The store - sandwiched in a parade of shops on Chorley Road - is popular with regulars for its well-stocked shelves and customer service.

But shoppers admit it's helped by the livery on the storefront, which is very similar to that of a Tesco Express store. Above the shop door sits the main sign which reads 'Retro Xpress' in the same red typeface used by the iconic supermarket's stores complete with a blue horizontal bar under each letter on a white background.

Ryan Moss, who worked in the shop as a young boy, said everyone in the area knows the shop and enjoys the similarities in the name and branding. Ryan, 20, said: "I've lived here for about 10 years and it's been the name for years, as long as I've known it.

"It was always the joke of the school, people would always mention it. The family that had it before, they were sound, just a lovely family and built the reputation of the shop.

"It's been a staple of the community for years, everyone uses it and having the unique name makes it more memorable I guess. It's good marketing, really."

Owner Jay Patel, 38, said: "I bought the shop and it was already the name. My customers are happy to come in and they like it, so I kept it. We were never going to change the name, it's what the shop is known as."

It's not the only store that bears a resemblance to a more famous supermarket chain. Gulfar Ahmed previously claimed his shop ‘Tecco Express’ in Salford was "completely different" to Tesco. While last July, a store opened in Manchester city centre called 'Morrisan’, which shared a similar name and colour scheme to the supermarket group Morrisons.

Tesco has been contacted for comment.