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Fresh & Easy to promote changes via radio, billboards
September 15th, 2009, 12:00 pm · 26 Comments · posted by Nancy Luna, Staff Writer
Starting Wednesday, Tesco’s Fresh & Easy supermarket chain will launch its first major advertising campaign since entering the United States nearly two years ago.
El Segundo-based Fresh & Easy will bombard various markets — including Southern California — with its “low price, fresh ingredients” philosophy using radio ads, freeway billboards and bus shelter signs.
The media campaign will also promote several store changes made over the last few months, including adding more than 1,000 new grocery items — ranging from liquid soap to ready-to-cook meats.
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- Banana hammocks
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- Loose Produce
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- More Fresh & Easy chicken
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- Magazines moved to checkout area
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- Private label cereals have done well in stores
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- Fresh & Easy uses il Fornaio breads
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- Billboard campaign starts 9/16
Over the last few months, Fresh & Easy stores have been tweaked to meet shopper demands, said Fresh & Easy Chief Marketing Officer Simon Uwins. Its Web site has also been revamped. (Map of O.C. Fresh & Easy stores)
Starting Wednesday, Fresh & Easy marketing officials said shoppers will see the following changes in stores:
Produce aisles: The chain is now letting shoppers buy “loose” fruits and vegetables, in addition to produce packs. Uwins said customers wanted more control over “how many” pieces they could buy. Also, the produce crates will be green instead of black to add more color. Bananas will be displayed in “a hammock-style” shelf, instead of crates.
More of everything: Overall, about 1,000 new groceries have been added to stores — ranging from beauty items, family-size takeout meals, ready to cook meats and cereals. Consumers will see a lot more national and private label brands. In the meat department, for example, Fresh & Easy will downsize the Buxted Chicken brand. Instead, it will offer more pre-wrapped Fresh & Easy chicken because it’s less expensive.
Physical changes: To accommodate the new food items, aisles now contain an extra row of shelf space. Aisles will also display more signs that explain the chain’s philosophy. For example, messages will emphasize fresh ingredients and low prices. (Remember, Fresh & Easy products contain no preservatives or artificial flavorings.)
To date, the British retailer has promoted its convenient stores at a grassroots level — via direct mailers sent to neighborhoods. But, with 125 stores in three states (California, Arizona and Nevada), Tesco felt it was time to launch a larger unified campaign.
“It was silly to do (anything big) while we made changes in store,” said Uwins. “Now, with 125 (units), we feel like we got the critical mass to do it.”
The chain, which has struggled to turn a profit, declined to say how much they’re spending on the new campaign.
Tell us: Many of these changes have already been made in local stores. What do you think?
More F&E stories:
- Tesco’s Fresh & Easy “in the red” but should break even, execs say
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Hee hee “banana hammocks” … (ok sorry for the playground humor)
This appears that F&E is drifting away from it’s original concept of a different kind of grocery store and heading in the direction of a traditional SoCal grocery store. But I suppose they have to adapt… SoCal is not London and people shop differently here than there.
Steve..I totally agree with you..it’s not niche shopping…..they are essentially becoming a one-stop shopping place for consumers….by adding more groceries…we’ll see if that works.
Is Fresh & Easy like Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods where they will only open stores if the demographics show that at least 60% of the population are college graduates? I remember seeing that on Whole Food’s website a while back.
Speaking as a college graduate. It is not the kind of store that I would shop.
To me it is like a Wal-Mart. They have very limited selection of products and are very inefficient in getting me though the checkout line quickly. I prefer a choice in what I buy, and they just haven’t offered it. Their expansion of product lines now is too little too late.
I can get what I am looking for at my local grocery store, who has brands that I like, and be out of there quickly.
As a long time F&E shopper, I am outraged by these changes. I love the nitche it is… a low cost alt to Whole Paycheck and Trade Hoes!
Keep F&E the same…
and more coupons!
Outraged?
Well, initially they wanted people to think of them as a “cheaper” version of Whole Foods….the initial push was to promote its natural, and preservative-free foods…Now, its all about “price price price”.. and more food options..So, in many ways, I think they are becoming, as Steve said, more like a mini-size traditional grocery store…
I like that they added more items, it keeps me from having to go to 2 different store now I can just go to F&E and i save a lot of money.
I love fresh and easy. in and out in no time. produce is wonderful, less that at the supermarket, it is 2 blocks from my house. I like the fact I don’t have to walk through a huge store for a gallon of milk. I don’t care if they put in more ites. More money I save.
How could you complain about them getting more items to help you save $ on? Trying to shop at Mothers,whole food s and Trader Joes along with F&E is too time consuming…if I can get it all at one stop then BAM!! F&E you just earned more of my business!!!
I love my F &E-couple of blocks away-a great alternative to TJ and supermarkets. Never got into Whole Foods.
I would love to shop at Fresh and Easy, in fact there is a store about 1 1/2 miles from my house. Problem is it’s not open!! There are 4 Fresh and Easy’s in my home town, only two of them are open and none of them are close to me. We even have the warehouse to stock them in the local area. What gives???
Fresh and Easy is where its at.
Its a cheaper quicker trader joes and whole foods.
Love it.
I love that they have expanded their selection. Now I just wish they would open a couple of stores in Irvine. Their prices cannot be bear. One gallon of milk for $1.99? NOBODY beats that. Plus it tastes better and lasts longer than Albertsons. I buy a lot of the staples at F&E and save A LOT of money.
Yippe!! Wasn’t much of a fan at first,still can’t rely on them for all my grocery needs,but they’re getting better!
The bread was already il Fornaio, just not marked as such.
I’m worried the complexity (like loose produce) and national brands will push out the good deals, and quirky items that I go to F&E for.
For instance they already dropped the British style sausages.
they need more stores!
Tesco is making it’s mark in the Grocerant niche! Other will follow but it looks as if many will fall.
I did notice a lot of stocking going on today as far as mid day is concerned! And certain things were changed to different aisles. But I didn’t really see much difference in merchandise.
I was a big F&E fan when they opened in Orange, but I cannot count on the things I like being in the store anymore. For instance, two of my favorite items (the fresh tuna salad and the Nosh) have been discontinued! The nosh was amazing, chopped apples and spicy almonds was one version of it. The last two times I’ve tried F&E, half of the items I wanted were not there. I left without purchasing anything. Unfortunately, I won’t be back. A shame.
The problem with F&E is they just are throwing mud at the wall and seeing what sticks. It changes week by week. One week they get rid of F&E branded items for more national brands. Then they launch the Buxted line. Then they bring more F&E brands back. Now Buxted is being downplayed and it sounds like being nearly eliminated.
It’s natural. Now it’s convenience and price. I never shopped at stores like Food 4 Less, so I don’t care for the new approach.
I have definitely been reducing my shopping there, as I can’t even get to $40 anymore, as there isn’t enough I want to buy.
I’m not interested in discount Mary Lee Mac and Cheese!
I wonder if F&E over-anticipated the market demand for organic, eclectic, natural foods in Southern California / the Southwest. Their current approach does seems more like a tilt in the direction of Food 4 Less, et al … a sort of realization that there’s far more poor and immigrant families in this area than there is upwardly mobile professionals. However, and this goes along with what you’re saying, F&E needs to find it’s voice. Are they willing to put the leg work into demand generation… that is creating a larger demand for their organic, eclectic, natural foods? Or are they simply chasing that current demographic of the area (at the same time they seem to not know what their demographic is… and therefore probably wouldn’t be successful with demand generation).
So, how long does Tesco keep dumping money into this wayward satellite? At what point to they realize they don’t understand the market here?
Good points.
I am sure they will eventually exit. Even now with the bulk foods…that demographic goes to F4L and/or Costco, Sams Club, etc. They are not going to get everything they need at Fresh and Easy.
It’s interesting. I lived in the UK for several years and Tesco was my local shop. It was horrible! I loved when I could get away to a better store like Waitrose, etc.
Still, I was excited about Fresh and Easy. I drove for almost 2 years to shop there, first at the Anaheim location, then Buena Park, then La Mirada, until they opened the location near my home. Unfortunately, by that time, so many changes were made that I started losing interest, which continues to this day.
It does not sound like you are very familiar with Southern California, otherwise you would know that there are plenty of upper-middle class families here; especially in coastal or near coastal parts of Southern Orange County.
I rather doubt that F&E has opened any stores in poor immigrant communities.
I wish they would open a store in Aliso Viejo. While the Moulton Parkway location is not far away, it would help AV residents to save gas and money if we had a store at Town Center.
By the way, Nancy, any word on plans for leasing the former Ritz Camera shop building located at Town Center in AV? Is anything in the works and, if so, what type of establishment will take over the spot,? Will they be in the apparel, sporting goods, restaurant, grocery….. business?
I don’t know, I’ve been in F&E a few times and it leaves me cold. More like a mini-mart with a hodgepodge of brands. I don’t recall the produce being that great, and I the meat/fish/poultry was anything but local. Plus I find their checkout process aggravating.