[kimba01]

Who knows? Americans are not like the English, Tesco may have failed here too.

[NLVgal]

Originally Posted by ScoopLV;29193692

[B

Frankly, when I first went to Fresh and Easy, I decided that the Tesco execs said, "Whatever, it's America. They're idiots," in a boardroom meeting when they created Fresh and Easy.

[/b]
Well, to be fair, we do buy bottled tap water.

[PinkString]

Originally Posted by ScoopLV

I still say that if Tesco took ANY Tesco in the UK and plopped it down in America, they'd do just fine. Tesco is like a mash-up of Whole Foods, Winco, Trader Joe's, Costco, Smith's and the Mexican markets (their produce in the UK is unparalleled). In addition, they sell nice lunches and dinners -- buy one and then go someplace and microwave it or just eat it on a train. Tesco is my go-to when I'm in the UK. They're simply brilliant. When I travel to the UK, which I do often, my first stop after clearing customs is usually a Tesco.

Fresh and Easy is NOTHING like Tesco. And that's why they failed. Their entire philosophy is clearly "anti-Tesco." Tesco execs: "We will set up a chain of grocery stores in America that is NOTHING like the stores we run at home. This will surely work."

Frankly, when I first went to Fresh and Easy, I decided that the Tesco execs said, "Whatever, it's America. They're idiots," in a boardroom meeting when they created Fresh and Easy.

Actually, the idiot was the person from Tesco that they sent to the USA to represent the new concept of Fresh and Easy stores. This person stayed with an American family that was *supposed* to represent how all Americans eat. This family did not cook, and only bought ready made meals. Convenience foods. Not a very good representation of people as a whole here in the USA.
And that is why it failed I would say. They focused too much on that.
Other problems they ran into were there were no cashiers. I personally like to bag my own groceries. Americans as a whole more or less like someone to do it for them. They could have had half cashier lines and half self checkout. And they should have had better tahini. They did have tahini, but it was a weird tasting one, nothing like the better brands like maranatha and others.
But otherwise the store was good. Yes, it would have been better to have Tesco stores. I would have liked that too.
Now we will be forced back to regular stores with their higher prices on things we could buy there much cheaper. So you won't miss it, but many other people will. To each their own.

[ScoopLV]

So they basically sent Jeremy Clarkson as their point man for a $1.8 billion operation.

Pardon me while I break out the world's smallest violin.

[von949]

Motorola DynaTAC 8000x

[NLVgal]

I'm hoping the stores are going to be purchased. The last thing we need is more unoccupied retail space. When I drive around the valley, it makes me sad to see the economic carnage that the recession left in it's wake.

[ilovegarlic]

Originally Posted by NLVgal

I'm hoping the stores are going to be purchased. The last thing we need is more unoccupied retail space. When I drive around the valley, it makes me sad to see the economic carnage that the recession left in it's wake.

The carnage isn't caused solely by the recession. The bigger part of the blame lies with the builders and speculators and scammers who over sold and over built. In other words, many of the vacant buildings and storefronts should have never been built in the first place.

[NLVgal]

Originally Posted by ilovegarlic

The carnage isn't caused solely by the recession. The bigger part of the blame lies with the builders and speculators and scammers who over sold and over built. In other words, many of the vacant buildings and storefronts should have never been built in the first place.

I agree, but it still bothers me to drive through some of the neighborhoods I grew up in and see so many vacant properties. These aren't places that sprung up during the boom, but older properties that used to be quite decent. Nostalgia. I guess I am getting old.

[bledsoe3]

British-based Fresh & Easy sells to U.S. firm - Local News - Las Vegas, NV | NBC News

A new owner for F & E

[demoknite]

Originally Posted by PinkString

Actually, the idiot was the person from Tesco that they sent to the USA to represent the new concept of Fresh and Easy stores. This person stayed with an American family that was *supposed* to represent how all Americans eat. This family did not cook, and only bought ready made meals. Convenience foods. Not a very good representation of people as a whole here in the USA.
And that is why it failed I would say. They focused too much on that.
Other problems they ran into were there were no cashiers. I personally like to bag my own groceries. Americans as a whole more or less like someone to do it for them. They could have had half cashier lines and half self checkout. And they should have had better tahini. They did have tahini, but it was a weird tasting one, nothing like the better brands like maranatha and others.
But otherwise the store was good. Yes, it would have been better to have Tesco stores. I would have liked that too.
Now we will be forced back to regular stores with their higher prices on things we could buy there much cheaper. So you won't miss it, but many other people will. To each their own.

Im not sure what the "typical" American family is like, but everyday during rush hour I can see lines of cars snaking around every fast food joint on a given street. Even people that supposedly eat at home are perhaps eating frozen food or the rice-a-roni type meals. And to be fair, a lot of western europe has gone this way too. And the ready meals are 10 times better in the UK than they are here...and Tescos are usually considered the worst ones but are still better than whole foods.