PHOENIX -- Tesco impending U.S. debut of its Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market in Phoenix and other Western cities has businesspeople and job seekers eager to get involved with what's expected to be a major force in the U.S. grocery industry, said The Arizona Republic.
Companies want to sell refrigerator and freezer cases to Tesco. Others want to get their food products on Fresh & Easy shelves. Valley firms want to handle its marketing and advertising, said the report.
So far, Tesco has picked sites for its first 20 Fresh &[image-nocss] amp; Easy stores in the Valley. They will compete with traditional supermarkets, but are designed to be much smaller. They'll stock fresh produce and healthful, ready-to-eat meals. Shoppers will find common American brands and Tesco's private-label products, plus beer and wine (but no gasoline or tobacco; see related feature in this issue of CSP Daily News).
Joe Hutchinson, a Phoenix-based food broker who sells frozen and perishable items to supermarkets, said it is not very often that a big potential client like a grocery store chain debuts in the Valley. We haven't had one [open] in a long time, he told the newspaper. This could be an opportunity for us.
But Hutchinson, like others trying to strike a deal with Tescoincluding many regional and national suppliers of food, merchandise and equipment to the convenience store and other retail industriesis having trouble finding a way to contact the company, which has set up U.S. headquarters in El Segundo, Calif. According to the report, Tesco's phone number there is (310) 341-1200.
The company has also launched a website, www.freshandeasy.com, which doesn't give any information about the business, but links to another site where people can apply for jobs by submitting resumes. Tesco will initially hire 400 people to work at its stores in the Valley, said the report. The company has positions in construction, supply chain/distribution, finance, human resources, operations, property, purchasing/procurement or stores/retail, according to the site.
Tesco's announcement last week also shed light on what sort of food Fresh & Easy will sell. Its lineup won't include British food. Tesco USA CEO Tim Mason said Fresh & Easy will reflect 21st-century American life.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.