Photo: John Gurzinski . Las Vegas Review-Journal From the 11/15/07 article “New grocery stores greet local shoppers” by Ben Spillman, Las Vegas Review-Journal:
Tesco, the largest retailer in the United Kingdom, is making its first foray into the United States with about 100 markets planned in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix and San Diego.
Although Tesco has more than 3,200 stores in 12 countries outside the United States, the Fresh & Easy markets are unique to America, said Simon Ewins, Fresh & Easy's chief marketing officer based in El Segundo, California.
The stores have about 10,000 square feet of shopping space, about the same as a Trader Joe's. But Fresh & Easy stores have a product mix that is about 50 percent store brand while the other half is a selection of national brands.
The stores also offer a large mix of prepared sandwiches, wraps and salads. Foot-long meat and cheese sandwiches are $3.99; 10-ounce wraps are $3.79.
The idea, Ewins says, is to provide stores that are easier to navigate than supermarkets but offer enough products to be a shoppers' only stop.
"What you won't find here are lots and lots of brands of the same thing," Ewins said, describing his company's strategy.
A Fresh & Easy store, for instance, may have several varieties of its store brand pasta sauce complemented by just two national brands.
"It is almost like a trend to mimic European shopping," said Georganne Bender, a Chicago-area retail expert.
Bender said the most successful grocery stores are sacrificing quantity and brand variety for the sake of convenience and simplicity.
"When there are too many choices, sometimes people can't make a decision," Bender said.
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