Fresh & Easy Director and Store to Feature in Las Vegas Insight/NACS Show Study Tour

Fresh & Easy, Tesco’s US convenience store chain, will feature in the Insight/NACS study tour held during the NACS Show in Las Vegas, 19-23 October 2009.

In addition, Steve Ryder, store design and planning director at Tesco Fresh & Easy, will give delegates an overview of the business, prior to the visit to a Fresh & Easy store in Las Vegas on 22 October 2009.

Delegates will also have the chance to visit Wal-Mart's smaller format, Neighborhood Market; Safeway's new smaller format, Lifestyle; Whole Foods; Terrible Herbst; Albertson's; Short Line Express; City Stop and others.

Fresh & Easy to feature on Insight/NACS study tour

Tesco’s bold decision to commit to 100% self-checkout technology throughout the entire Fresh & Easy chain is increasingly seen by major retailers as the global tipping point for the adoption and strategic rollout of self-checkout technology in an increasing number of world markets.

“As self checkout becomes the checkout of choice for as many as half of shoppers in some European multiple convenience chains, Fresh & Easy’s decision to go 100% self-scanning looks increasingly globally decisive,” said Dan Munford, Insight partner and tour organiser.

“The quiet self-checkout revolution that is now transforming UK convenience retail operations was born in the USA and we have Fresh & Easy to thank for this innovation.

“Tesco and Asda appear to have overcome concerns over shrinkage and are rolling self-checkout out as fast as they can in a move which is saving staff costs and improving the customer experience. In some London c-stores, with a higher proportion of younger shoppers, self-checkout has already become the preferred and default option. This is the future,” said Munford.

Fresh & Easy opened its first store in Southern California at the end of 2007 with an initial target for 200 stores by February 2009.

It currently operates 120 stores across Southern California, Las Vegas and Phoenix and has a revised target for 200 stores by November 2010.

At the end of last month (May) Tesco was reported to be making major changes at the Fresh & Easy stores following revelations the chain has racked up losses of £142m.

The retailer is reported to be putting more focus on value lines and introducing a further 1,000 skus to its 3,500-strong range.

New lines include Fresh & Easy pita chips, quiche and gourmet hamburger buns plus value brands including Mother’s Joy cereals and national favourites like Guerrero tortillas.

Despite criticism, a Tesco spokesperson said the economy not the concept was to blame.

Traffic is reported to have increased and sales at stores open for more than a year are up by 30%, he said.

Further information on the Insight/NACS Las Vegas Study Tour & NACS Show 2009 is available online.