Tesco reveals ambitious expansion plans for USA
Tesco is planning to open a 1,000-strong chain of discount stores in the US meaning shoppers in urban towns and cities could be within a mile of one of its Fresh & Easy stores.
Three weeks after launching in California, CEO Tim Mason says he expects Fresh & Easy’s first 15 stores to rise to around 200 by February 2009. “We want the stores to be no more than two miles apart so no one has to travel more than a mile to get to a Fresh & Easy,”
The company is also planning to open a second distribution centre in northern California. Located near Los Angeles, the centre could serve up to 500 stores. Tesco is pursuing an aggressive hard-discount model in the US, with its US stores having similarities to discounters Aldi and Lidl.
Tesco chief executive Terry Leahy has said Fresh & Easy could one day rival the retailer’s UK business.
