Fresh & Easy Plans New Products

ELLIOT ZWIEBACH

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market here said last week it plans to introduce 250 new own-brand items to its stores over the next three months, to cater to increasing customer demand.

New products will include fresh-prepared ready meals, new juices and brewed teas, soy and goat yogurt, and a range of ready-to-grill meats, the company said.

Because Fresh & Easy shelves have not been packed tightly, there is room to fit the new items in, a spokesman told SN.

Fresh & Easy brands account for 50% of the product mix in the stores and approximately 75% of sales, the company said earlier this year.

A new study released last week by Execution Research, a London-based company, said a survey of 680 Fresh & Easy shoppers across the chain's distribution area in the Western U.S. found customers have a very positive impression of the stores.

“The reason Fresh & Easy is attracting these customers away from traditional retailers is that it is giving customers what they want,” the report said — “good quality fresh food at low prices in a local and easy format.”

According to the survey, 89% of shoppers said they would recommend Fresh & Easy to others — the highest recommendation score Execution's primary research team has ever seen, the report said. It also said footfall at Fresh & Easy could increase as much as five times as awareness of the brand builds.