Tesco Direct was the general merchandise catalogue and website arm of Tesco Stores Limited, one of the UK's largest supermarket chains. Launched in 2006, it aimed to compete with Argos and Amazon by offering non-food goods – including technology, homeware, toys, and fashion – through a printed catalogue, a dedicated website, and in-store collection points at Tesco stores nationwide. The service was well known for its F&F own-brand clothing range, which launched in 2001 and offered affordable fashion for men, women, and children. Tesco Direct ceased trading on 9 July 2018 after Tesco concluded the standalone non-food business had no route to profitability.
F&F (Florence & Fred) was Tesco's own clothing brand, available through Tesco Direct and in over 500 UK stores. The range covered menswear, womenswear, childrenswear, footwear, and accessories at accessible price points. Women's underwear, children's fancy dress, and seasonal fashion lines were among its popular categories. After Tesco Direct closed in 2018, F&F was sold through Next's website until early 2024, before Tesco relaunched the clothing range directly on Tesco.com.
Beyond fashion, Tesco Direct stocked a broad range of non-food products across several categories:
Tesco Direct operated as a catalogue and online business. Customers could browse and order online at direct.tesco.com, or use the printed catalogue – the final printed edition was published in 2012. Orders could be delivered to the customer's home or collected from a local Tesco store, making use of Tesco's extensive retail network. The service also included a Tesco eNewsletter for subscribers to receive the latest offers and product announcements.
Tesco announced in 2018 that Tesco Direct would close because the business had "no route to profitability." The company cited the high costs of online advertising and fulfilment as the primary reasons the standalone non-food website could not sustain itself commercially. Approximately 500 jobs were affected, mostly at the Fenny Lock fulfilment centre. Tesco redirected its non-food offering to its main Tesco.com platform following the closure.
Tesco Direct ceased trading on 9 July 2018. The website was shut down after Tesco determined the standalone non-food business was not commercially viable due to the high costs of online marketing and order fulfilment.
After Tesco Direct closed in 2018, F&F clothing was sold through the Next website and stores from 2019 until early 2024. Tesco subsequently relaunched F&F directly on Tesco.com, making its own-brand fashion available through the main supermarket website and app.
No. Tesco Direct (direct.tesco.com) was a separate platform focused on non-food general merchandise, operating alongside Tesco.com which handled grocery home delivery. The two were distinct websites, though both were operated by Tesco Stores Limited. After Direct closed, its non-food products were consolidated onto Tesco.com.
The final printed Tesco Direct catalogue was published in 2012. After that date, the service operated as an online-only platform until the website closed in July 2018.
Tesco attributed the closure to unsustainable operating costs, particularly high online advertising spend and the expense of running a dedicated fulfilment operation at Fenny Lock. The business struggled to compete profitably against Amazon and Argos in the general merchandise market.
Tesco gift cards that were valid at the time of closure remained usable at Tesco.com and in Tesco stores. Tesco confirmed that gift cards were not affected by the closure of the Direct website specifically.
This catalogue is part of the Catalink archive and may no longer be available to order. The information above describes Tesco Direct, the non-food catalogue and website business operated by Tesco Stores Limited from 2006 to 2018. For current details, visit the company's official website.
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