EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- Simon Uwins, chief marketing officer at Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Markets Inc., has left the company "to pursue other interests," Brendan Wonnacott, Fresh & Easy's director of neighborhood affairs, told CSP Daily News.
Uwins was one of the original team of Tesco executives who brought the retailer to the United States five years ago. "Simon was one of the people involved in the development of Fresh & Easy," said Wonnacott. "[We] would like to thank him for his contribution."
In an internal announcement, Tim Mason, president and CEO of Fresh & Easy and deputy group CEO and chief marketing officer of Tesco PLC, said he was "shaking up" the retailer, bringing all elements of the chain related to customers in its commercial and marketing divisions into one team, said a report in the Financial Times.
"We constantly review our structures to ensure they most effectively support the business," added Wonnacott. "As the Fresh & Easy business continues to grow and attract more customers, we have decided to combine the commercial and marketing functions to ensure that all our operations including the Kitchen and supply chain are focused on delivering for our customers."
Mason announced Uwins' departure at the U.S. chain's weekly Town Hall meeting, said the Fresh & Easy Buzz blog, which first broke the story.
The company has appointed John Burry as chief customer officer, said the newspaper.
"The role of Chief Customer Officer is new to Tesco, but is common in a number of other large companies," Wonnacott told CSP Daily News. "In his new role, John Burry will add marketing to his commercial and manufacturing responsibilities. This will ensure we provide customers with a seamless experience as the business continues to grow."
Fresh & Easy opened a smaller-format store--the first of several Fresh & Easy Express stores--in central Los Angeles. It is also rolling out a loyalty card based on its successful Clubcard loyalty program in the U.K. (see Related Content below for previous CSP Daily News coverage).
The retailer is also revamping its stores, said the Times, aiming to have bakeries in 100 stores by Thanksgiving.
El Segundo, Calif.-based Fresh & Easy, the U.S. operating unit of London-based Tesco, has approximately 180 small-format grocery stores in California, Arizona and Nevada.
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.