The parent company of Fresh & Easy, Tesco, PLC, (UK) “one of the world’s largest retailers with operations in 14 countries, employing over 500,000 people and serving millions of customers every week.” Announced on December 5, 2012, that they have begun to “conduct a strategic review of Fresh & Easy; all options under consideration”.
By: Steven D. Roppel, Commercial Real Estate Broker, (909) 297-0881, [email protected]
Allied Commercial Real Estate, 3100 East Cedar Street, Suite 7, Ontario, CA 91761
Fresh & Easy, which first opened in Southern California in 2007, has 199 stores located throughout California, Arizona and Nevada, with a large distribution center in Riverside. Unfortunately, Fresh & Easy has not been profitable and the prospects of ever turning a profit look dim. Should these locations close, over 5,000 Fresh & Easy US jobs may be lost – which would be a setback to the economic outlook and employment in the region.
However, as reported by The Los Angeles Times and RetailTrafficMag.com, there are alternatives to the stores locking their doors and their workers finding themselves out of work.
For example, “Tesco might be able to sell some of its better stores to other supermarket operators, dollar stores or drugstores.”
Also, “Analysts said a drugstore company such as Walgreen Co. or Rite Aid Corp. may scoop up the 200-store chain for the real estate. Other possible buyers include discount grocers such as German company Aldi.”
Aldi is popular discount grocery chain based in Germany and Europe and now operates 1,100 stores in 31 states throughout the East Coast and Mid-Western United States. With no stores at present in the Western United States, the acquisition of the Fresh & Easy stores may be a quick way for Aldi to continue their expansion plans in the United States.
| Fresh & Easy in the Inland Empire: | ||
| 829 W Foothill | Upland | CA 91786 |
| 176 S Mountain Avenue | Upland | CA 91786 |
| 8956 Foothill Blvd | Rancho Cucamonga | CA 91730 |
| 12188 Foothill Blvd | Rancho Cucamonga | CA 91739 |
| 2275 S. Euclid Ave. | Ontario | CA 91761 |
| 2569 Chino Hills Pkwy, Suite A | Chino Hills | CA 91709 |
| 16049 Baseline Avenue, Unit 1 | Fontana | CA 92336 |
| 2015 N. Riverside Avenue | Rialto | CA 92377 |
| 8082 Limonite Ave | Jurupa Valley | CA 92509 |
| 33441 W. Yucaipa Boulevard | Yucaipa | CA 92399 |
| 1126 Calimesa Blvd. | Calimesa | CA 92320 |
| 4090 Madison St. | Riverside | CA 92504 |
| 4090 Madison St. | Riverside | CA 92504 |
| 8765 Trautwein Rd. | Riverside | CA 92508 |
| 1215 E. Ontario Ave | Corona | CA 92881 |
| 685 E Bonita Ave | San Dimas | CA 91773 |
| 16100 Perris Boulevard | Moreno Valley | CA 92551 |
| 2211 W. Esplanade Ave. | San Jacinto | CA 92582 |
| 1631C East Highland | San Bernardino | CA 92404 |
| 102 S. Sunrise Way | Palm Springs | CA 92262 |
| 30025 Date Palm Dr. | Cathedral City | CA 92234 |
| 72885 Highway 111 | Palm Desert | CA 92260 |
| 78-130 Calle Tampico | La Quinta | CA 92253 |
| 82-900 Ave 42 Building E | Indio | CA 92203 |
| 39530 Murrieta Hot Springs Rd. , Ste 207 | Murrieta | CA 92563 |
| 44060 Margarita Rd. | Temecula | CA 92592 |
| 14135 Main Street Suite 301 | Hesperia | CA 92345 |
| Distribution Center | ||
| 14900 Meridian Pkwy | Riverside | CA 92518 |
Sources
Tesco Press Release: http://www.tescoplc.com/index.asp?pageid=17&newsid=714
Fresh & Easy: http://www.freshandeasy.com/stores/
LA Times: http://articles.latimes.com/2012/dec/06 … y-20121206
RetailTrafficMag.com: http://retailtrafficmag.com/retailing/p … _12132012/
Aldi (US): http://aldi.us/us/html/company/3503_ENU … z_src=main