The British are leaving, the British are leaving!
Fresh & Easy stores in California and beyond will soon be sold or closed, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.
Owned by Britain's Tesco, the 199-market grocery chain never quite caught on with American consumers.
According to documents prepared for the City of Imperial Beach this summer, the market at the yet-to-be-built 9th Street and Palm Avenue shopping center would be occupied by Fresh & Easy.
Analysts said the recession was partly to blame. Fresh & Easy debuted in California, Nevada and Arizona in 2007, just as the economy was tanking. But, ultimately, shoppers didn't warm to the concept.
"Though it attracted a small group of loyalists, Fresh & Easy largely failed to capture the imagination of American consumers who proved unaccustomed to British-style ready meals, self-service cash registers and unfamiliar store layouts," the Journal said.
Tesco's CEO told the paper: "It's likely, but not certain, that our presence in America will come to an end."
Offers to buy all or part of the chain are already trickling in, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times.
