Yucaipa Said to Mull Fresh & Easy Buy

LOS ANGELES — Supermarket magnate Ron Burkle’s Yucaipa Cos. here is considering a bid for Fresh & Easy stores and a subsequent rebranding under the Wild Oats Markets name, Bloomberg News reported Wednesday.

The report cited anonymous sources saying Burkle would name Jim Keyes to lead the venture. Keyes, a former 7-Eleven chief executive, owns the Wild Oats name, which was retired from retail stores after Yucaipa sold the chain to Whole Foods in 2007.

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The report also cited a trademark application for an entity called “Wild Oats Marketing LLC” with Yucaipa’s address to open grocery retail grocery stores.

A Yucaipa spokesman wasn’t immediate available for comment.

Tesco recently it was still "on track" with its efforts to divest Fresh & Easy, which is based El Segundo, Calif.