Did the British underestimate the American grocery shopper?
After a five year attempt to win over shoppers, the British supermarket giant Tesco says it may sell its Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market stores.
Since 2007, Tesco has opened nearly 200 stores in California, Arizona and Nevada.
San Diego State marketing professor George Belch says Tesco couldn't find a niche in the United States competitive supermarket business.
"There is nothing that Fresh & Easy is really doing that I think clearly separated them from their competitors," said Belch.
He says one of the problems may be that Fresh & Easy wasn't able to understand West Coast shoppers.
"It's probably hard as a foreign competitor to really understand all the subtleties and nuances of the American consumer," Belch said.
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Supermarket owner Dirk Stump had a Fresh & Easy open up nearly his family owned grocery store.
"There's only so much of the pie and everyone takes a little slice," said Stump, "I know almost exactly how much they took from me when they opened up."
Tesco officials already closed 12 Fresh & Easy stores earlier in the year. Now they say they will most likely sell their stores and end their presence in America.
