In response to increasing demand for private-label products, Tesco’s Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market is planning to introduce more than 200 new self-branded products by year’s end.
Fresh & Easy’s own branded products account for more than 70% of its sales.
More than 80% of Fresh & Easy’s customers said in a Fresh & Easy customer survey that the company’s own branded products are one of the main reasons they shop at the stores.
Fresh & Easy said customers have been drawn in by its “everyday low prices and the convenience of a store located right in the neighborhood.”
The retailer’s products contain no artificial flavors or colors, no added trans fats and only use preservatives when absolutely necessary.
A 2008 Food Market Institute U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends study recently found consumers are increasingly interested in what is in their food. For example, at least half of shoppers scan food items for trans fat content when deciding to purchase a product. Consumers are increasingly seeking read-to-eat meals, with more than half of the shoppers surveyed interested in more convenient food options. The study also notes price is the most important factor in making decisions about purchasing a particular food item, Fresh & Easy said.
“People increasingly want food that is more like they would make in their own kitchens,” said Tim Mason, Fresh & Easy’s CEO. “At Fresh & Easy, we are able to offer fresh, wholesome products at incredible prices without the additives and preservatives they don’t want. Our products are a win-win for customers.”
Some of the own-brand items Fresh & Easy is introducing by the end of the year include: Vegetable Curry with Brown Rice, Mushroom Stroganoff, Chicken Parmesan with Linguine, Broccoli and Cheese Soup, Shrimp Alfredo, Orange Chicken, Organic Honey, new coffee and tea flavors, different varieties of cereals, new flavors of kettle and veggie chips and new juice blends.
Fresh & Easy now has 78 stores in Southern California, Arizona and Nevada.
