Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market, the grocery chain owned by U.K.-based retailing giant Tesco, has put the brakes on the
U.S. invasion it launched on the West Coast last year, but still claims it has designs on plastering the U.S. with thousands
of its stores.
The stores are small, about 15,000 square feet, and theyâ??re conveniently plunked in neighborhoods in direct competition with giants including Wal-Mart.
Fresh & Easyâ??s concept of small and upscale is strong enough that Wal-Mart is opening small grocery stores in the southwest to try to find a way to counter the concept.
Now, though, The Times of London has reported that first-year sales in the initial stores are 70 percent below expectations. Tesco denies itâ??s struggling.
The grocery industry has been through years of competitive turmoil in the Indianapolis area.
What would happen in Fresh and Easy arrived here?
The stores are small, about 15,000 square feet, and theyâ??re conveniently plunked in neighborhoods in direct competition with giants including Wal-Mart.
Fresh & Easyâ??s concept of small and upscale is strong enough that Wal-Mart is opening small grocery stores in the southwest to try to find a way to counter the concept.
Now, though, The Times of London has reported that first-year sales in the initial stores are 70 percent below expectations. Tesco denies itâ??s struggling.
The grocery industry has been through years of competitive turmoil in the Indianapolis area.
What would happen in Fresh and Easy arrived here?
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Fresh & Easy's model seems to be to place their stores in more suburban settings. Looking at their LA locations on Google Maps, all the street views were filled with strip malls and fast food places. I don't think it would work in an area like that. Why would you drive there, park, etc. to go to a small grocery when you can probably head a few miles (or less down the road) and stop at a full sized store or a Wal-Mart or Super Target or the like?
You might find the blog Fresh & Easy Buzz of interest. It writes all about Tesco, Tesco's Fresh & Easy and related food and grocery business topics and companies.
link: www.freshneasybuzz.blogspot.com
Fresh & Easy to me has much going for it. BUt there also seem to be many problems. Some of the stores I've been to here in Southern California have very few people in them. Of course, that's been good news for me as a customer when I've shopped at them since I got in and out fast. But can't be great news for the company.
The stores do have some great prices though. But it doesn't seem they advertise that fact much. Some of the prepared foods are good too, and priced reasonable.
The meat and produce is bad in my opinion though. They need to redo those categories.
:)
I used to go to the one at 49th and Penn as a kid... Sure do miss em!