El Segundo-based Fresh & Easy struggles
Madeline Dovale likes shopping at Fresh & Easy for the sandwiches and pre-made foods, especially the ones with sauces. And she likes the fact that she can get through the self-checkout line quickly. “I can do everything quickly,” Dovale said. “As you can see, there’s not long lines.” The lack of long lines is something the company hopes changes— and quickly. Fresh & Easy’s British parent company, Tesco, is coming under pressure from shareholders to dump the mid-sized supermarket chain. Fresh & Easy is based in El Segundo with more than 200 employees in its corporate headquarters off Rosecrans Avenue. Key shareholders want Tesco to focus on its British operations and sell off Fresh & Easy, which has been underperforming since it was launched five years ago. Industry analysts say Fresh & Easy may never generate the revenue it was projected to bring in. “I think it (Fresh & Easy) has got the possibility for success, but I think they handicapped their ability to succeed by setting their expectations for success too high too early,” said Jim Hertel, a managing partner at food retail consulting firm Willard Bishop. When the stores were rolled out, the company said it expected to make…
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