diff --git a/docs/release.rst b/docs/release.rst
index 2f64454c97..751e6ca0b1 100644
--- a/docs/release.rst
+++ b/docs/release.rst
@@ -11,6 +11,12 @@ Release notes
     Unreleased
     ----------
 
+    Maintenance
+    ~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+    * Change occurrence of io.open() into open().
+      By :user:`Dimitri Papadopoulos Orfanos <DimitriPapadopoulos>` :issue:`1421`.
+
 .. _release_2.15.0:
 
 2.15.0
diff --git a/zarr/convenience.py b/zarr/convenience.py
index 9a0eae20a3..bb00621412 100644
--- a/zarr/convenience.py
+++ b/zarr/convenience.py
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 """Convenience functions for storing and loading data."""
-import io
 import itertools
 import os
 import re
@@ -23,6 +22,8 @@
 
 StoreLike = Union[BaseStore, MutableMapping, str, None]
 
+_builtin_open = open  # builtin open is shadowed by a local open function 🤯
+
 
 def _check_and_update_path(store: BaseStore, path):
     if getattr(store, '_store_version', 2) > 2 and not path:
@@ -485,7 +486,7 @@ def __init__(self, log):
         elif callable(log):
             self.log_func = log
         elif isinstance(log, str):
-            self.log_file = io.open(log, mode='w')
+            self.log_file = _builtin_open(log, mode='w')
             self.needs_closing = True
         elif hasattr(log, 'write'):
             self.log_file = log