Tesco to revamp Fresh & Easy stores, add British foods
May 10th, 2008, 1:28 pm · 23 Comments · posted by Nancy Luna
British retailer Tesco plans to make some major changes at its fledgling Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Markets. Word has it that an announcement could come early next week.
Some stores, including the Laguna Hills Fresh & Easy, already have made some tweaks. Fresh & Easy would not comment Saturday, but acknowledged that details on store changes will be made soon.
So, I headed to the Laguna Hills and Orange Fresh & Easy stores today to get the scoop. Here’s what this undercover shopper saw and h
eard from employees:
- More British goods. I was told by workers that stores will start stocking more “international” products to cater to Trader Joe’s shoppers and British expats who’ve complained about the lack of European foods. I didn’t notice any new products in the two stores I hit on Saturday. But, employees at both stores confirmed more British foods are coming.
– More food variety. Employees at both the Orange and Laguna Hills stores (who were incredibly friendly to this undercover shopper) said stores are receiving more new items daily, especially in the deli and meat aisle. New items are also marked with blue “new” labels, so products stand out. For example, I bought some ready-to-cook “pork sausage pinwheels” and “Texas brand ribs,” both new items I found in Orange. (At right)
I was told by an employee that stores are adding more sausages and ready-to-cook meats based on customer feedback.
- Colorful, better signage. One of the biggest complaints by consumers is that Fresh & Easy is boring. Some have likened it to a government surplus store. Now, I’ve never shopped at the Laguna Hills store before, but I noticed there were more colorful signs educating shoppers about the Fresh & Easy philosophy. This message was on a wall above the frozen food section: “At Fresh & Easy, we believe in honest, low prices for everyone, every day.”
Also, Laguna Hills had larger directional signs that better describe the types of foods found in each aisle. (A store employee confirmed that the aisle signs and wall messages were new and would be added at other stores.)
I stopped a regular Laguna Hills shopper and asked him if he noticed any changes in the store: “To me it looks the same,” he said.
Whatever the changes, something had to be done to improve sales. Tesco announced plans in March to halt store openings while it smoothed out wrinkles in its new American grocery store concept.
The British chain has opened 61 units in California, Arizona and Nevada since debuting in November. Orange County has six stores open in Orange, Laguna Hills, Anaheim, Buena Park, La Habra and Huntington Beach. Stores are planned in Fountain Valley, Westminster, Fullerton and another in Orange.
Stay tuned for more updates.
Related Fresh & Easy/Tesco stories:
- Tesco CEO: Some want Fresh & Easy to ‘fail’
- Fresh & Easy store opening put on hold for 3 months
- Tesco expected to defend Fresh & Easy concept
- Q&A: What’s wrong with Tesco’s Fresh & Easy?
- Comments: Readers rant and rave about Fresh & Easy
- Wal-Mart planning Fresh & Easy copycat
- Fresh & Easy off to rocky start. A look at the first 100 days
- A closer look: What is Tesco’s Fresh & Easy concept?
May 10th, 2008 at 3:05 pm
it dont suprices me that they are not doing well.
and they are throwing out large bins of fresh food daily more (i have picture even when employees said after it was taken oh i could not take pitures) that 1 m3 1 cubic meter = 10 cubic feet food daily and acording to staff in Laguna Hills it used to be several bins a day, i saw them pull potatoes and put in trash, since when are potatoes expiring in a couple of days i was also to this was not given to the less fortunate but put in trash could alos be marked down and that would add to the bottom line of company, im not impressed with their operations and i am from Europe, their prices are less than fantastic, wishes them best luck.
May 10th, 2008 at 5:44 pm
This is the fault of illegal immigrants!!!!!
Just kidding-it just seems like people who post comments to news stories always blame stuff on illegals.
I like the Fn E in Lakewood-great food, great prices!
May 10th, 2008 at 6:45 pm
i went there, i seemed to like it, dont see why everyone is so anti
May 10th, 2008 at 7:01 pm
Whenever I take a trip to Europe the grocery stores have fresh bread. Here in the US the bread is always stale and rock hard. I’m not sure if Fresh & Easy has any plans to fix this, but someone should! It is embarrasing that we can’t make bread in the US.
May 10th, 2008 at 7:11 pm
Can’t say I’ve ever heard of fresh & easy, so they need better advertising, though I welcome any place that sales British foods.
There is a great British food store in San Juan Capistrano called Flavor Of Britain. You can find it here:
http://www.flavobrit.com/
Flavour of Britain
32172 Camino Capistrano
San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675-3732
Phone: (949) 248-2805
We buy all our Christmas items there: Cadbury Advent Calendars, Christmas Crackers, Plum Puddings, Cookies and Sweets. They have Meat Pies, Bangers, Tea, assorted Canned items, Devon Cream, multiple cookies & sweets and even china. I highly recommend the store.
May 10th, 2008 at 9:49 pm
I really don’t understand how so many people dislike Fresh N Easy. It’s exactly what the name states and on top of it, the prices of most items are much better than the usual grocery stores. I love the ready made items. There’s solid variety. What’s to complain about? The packaging is boring? Who cares. I for one am very happy with the stores and hope everything works out well for them.
May 10th, 2008 at 9:57 pm
Fascinating! Their stores are sterile and mind numbing.y bland to shop in, and this is good news if they are trying to fix that and infuse each location with some sort of personality.
I couldn’t get a single employee to acknowledge me on the two visits to the Orange store I made in February, and I never went back. But if you are saying that the employees have now been trained on how to smile and speak, then I believe you Ms. Luna. I’m still not in any hurry to go back to the F&E in Orange, but if I hear that changes have been made and things have improved I’d be willing to give them one more try later this year.
Thanks for the updates on this fascinating tale of a botched corporate launch by a group who claimed they had researched the American marketplace thoroughly. Looks like there were some big holes in their research, but it’s interesting to hear how they are trying to fix things quickly.
May 11th, 2008 at 6:49 am
I really like the Fresh and Easy by me in Orange. I go there at least twice a week. Another one is supposed to open at the corner of Chapman and Tustin. Nancy, do you know if this will still open? It looks like they are still working on it. I like the idea of more international foods, and I agree with the blogger about freshly baked bread. Getting a loaf that isn’t cold and somewhat hard is tough, even from the bakery right near me in Old Towne Orange. Any store that can fill this niche would be a welcome addition!
May 11th, 2008 at 8:43 am
Mary, good to hear from you.
As far as I know, there’s still a green light for the second F&E slated for Orange. I just talked to the city folks the other day. I think they estimated an opening date later this year…maybe early fall?
I agree about the bread…That’s one of my favorite things about F&E — the great , low price loaves…
May 11th, 2008 at 8:55 am
I really like my neighborhood Fresh and Easy in Lakewood. I don’t have to go to the larger chain stores that are farther from my home. We love the produce and the variety of foods is great for us. I like the special consideration Fresh and Easy gives to Moms shopping with kids by giving them special parking spots by the front door. I really like the checkouts because I can get in and out quickly if I am in a hurry. The people that work there are friendly and helpful!
May 11th, 2008 at 9:50 am
I shop at Tesco in Ireland when I am there. If they had more internaitonal food at the F&E stores, I would be more inclined to shop there.
May 11th, 2008 at 10:16 am
Lilt, please, sell Lilt. We will shop there forever!
May 11th, 2008 at 12:11 pm
I go to Fresh and Easy in Orange at least once a week. I just can’t understand people’s obsession with having a store with “personality”. I love Trader Joe’s as much as the next person but I really don’t need a store to have a personality. How’s this for personality: small, convenient, plain wrap and quick. It works for me.
By the way, has anyone else received e-mails that appear to be from Fresh and Easy but are coming from the Ralph’s grocery union and do nothing but bash F&E, compare them to Walmart and all but accuse them of offering spoiled food?
May 11th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
tmare, I haven’t heard of those emails from the Ralphs union. But there’s a topic that could get me to go back to F&E, as I can never forgive the union for that ridiculous strike a few years ago that ruined my Vons and forced some of my favorite checkers to quit a few months into the strike.
If the grocery store unions are upset about F&E, then there’s a reason to give the store another try as far as I’m concerned. I’m still going to wait until later this year when Tesco puts in place all of these tweaks and fixes to their chain however, as I’m still burned by my two visits to the sterile and charmless Orange store.
Thank God for Trader Joes! Without them the SoCal grocery landscape would be very sad.
May 11th, 2008 at 1:43 pm
I agree. If the Ralph’s Union doesn’t like fresh & easy that is a great reason to try the store. That last Grocery strike was beyond pathetic. I happily crossed the picket line….though I felt like I was in some third world county as it dragged on. I don’t like Unions…
May 11th, 2008 at 2:09 pm
I purchased items at the Long Beach/Spring st. store in January. I did like the items…….BUT—–the store shelves are so squared….why not put them on a diagonal…….and with spaces to walk around shorter…also put produce in the center with low bins ….like it just came from the farm……..You’ve got to be inovated here in So
Cal…..as there’s lots of competition.. lower the lighting or paint the walks…
In otherwords……it’s not a warm and fuzzy store…..you feel like it just might be an outlet type……..”Showcase your stock” with color and some dancing music in the store…….along with advertising ‘Holiday Specials” with a price cut………to lure us in……….
Sad to say……but I do think there are still a lot of folks who get intimiated…scanning their own grocererys……..make sure you’ve always got happy talking smiling assistants near those scanners at all times……..I know you want to keep prices down …..so this is a must……especially with the older folks!
Good Luck……….and keep advertising your Healthy Foods Items !
Mary formally of Long Beach,CA
May 11th, 2008 at 7:09 pm
I had no idea these were owned by Tesco. I will definitely have to pay a visit. I love Tesco when I am in the UK
May 11th, 2008 at 10:37 pm
I for one, REALLY enjoy F and E. If you want botique shopping, go somewhere else where the prices are higher. I have always found the staff of the La Mirada and La Habra stores to be extreemly helpful. The food is always fresh, prices great and the produce to be top of the line. I don’t care for all of their ready made meals, but most are good. Try their fresh pizza in the fridge section. I like the BBQ Chicken. I add a little more sauce at home, throw on a few more toppings and bake in my own oven, it is outstanding. Give this company a break, quit being snotty and take it for what it is, Fresh and Easy. I spend 90% of my shopping dollars with them and only purchase a few things I can’t find at F&E in another market, I don’t mind the 2nd stop on the way home.
May 13th, 2008 at 10:17 am
I agree with Mike. My daughter and I shop there not for big stock-up trips but everything else. Some ready-made foods we like; other not so much. It’s fresh, quick, and easy to get in and out. During the day I’ve found assistance to be friendly and helpful. At night I don’t see many workers. I’ve found some good values on pull-date items. My daughter’s English friend thought they would carry things she missed from home, now some may be added it appears. Anything that keeps food costs down I’m all for.
May 14th, 2008 at 11:01 am
[…] from OC Register via Eating LA. Photo by bunnicula Subscribe to our RSS Feed and leave a comment to enter the […]
May 16th, 2008 at 6:51 am
[…] news Fresh & Easy, Pinkberry top hot retailer listFresh & Easy to add 250 new food itemsTesco to revamp Fresh & Easy stores, add British foodsTesco CEO: Some want Fresh & Easy to […]
May 18th, 2008 at 8:45 pm
Liking the F&E. Hubby is an expat - and they have great prices on back bacon (cheaper than the Brit specialty stores). I also get to use my Tesco shopping bag there and they know what it is! We tried the Lincolnshire Bangers today - not bad at all.
Would love to see the breads for sure!
May 19th, 2008 at 12:07 am
I do like the Fresh & Easy in Arcadia, but if they start stocking British Foods I really would not be inclined to shop there for them. I prefer to frequent the family owned stores instead of large chains. Even in these days of high fuel prices I will continue to make the 40 mile trak to Santa Monica for my bi-weekly stock-up of