Walgreens Announces Hiring of Former Fresh & Easy Fresh Foods Director Jim Jensen; Confirms Our January 6 Report

On January 6, 2010 Fresh & Easy Buzz was first to report that Jim Jensen had left his position as director of fresh foods at Tesco's Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market, and was taking a similar position at the Walgreens drug chain. Our Report - Wednesday, January 6, 2010 Breaking Buzz: Corporate Director of Fresh Foods Jim Jensen Leaves Tesco's Fresh & Easy.

Additionally, see our follow-up piece - Friday, January 15, 2010: Just-Exited Tesco Fresh & Easy Fresh Foods Director Jim Jensen to Head New Fresh Foods Initiative at Walgreens Drug Chain.

Today, Thursday, January 21, Walgreens announced in a statement it has hired former Fresh & Easy fresh foods director Jim Jensen to head up its fresh foods program, confirming our early reports.

Here's a report on Walgreens announcement from Dow Jones Newswires published in today's Wall Street Journal - January 21, 2010: Walgreen Taps New Executive For Venture Into Fresh Food

Numerous other business and industry trade publications will be reporting the story today and tomorrow now that Walgreens has publicly announced the move in a press release...

But Fresh & Easy Buzz readers learned the news 15 days ago when we broke it on the Blog.

Fresh & Easy Buzz has been reporting on and writing about Walgreens' increased food and grocery product merchandising emphasis - and its connection to Tesco's Fresh & Easy - long before the recent spate of coverage in the mainstream press and in other Blogs came about in the last couple days.

For example, below is a bibliography of just a few of the related stories from Fresh & Easy Buzz on the topic going back as far as well over a year ago. There are links at these posts to other related stores from the Blog as well.

>January 22, 2009: Neighbors by Location Only: Will Mega-Drug Chain Walgreens' New Focus on Consumables and 'Affordable Essentials' Rob Sales From Tesco's Fresh & Easy?

>December 22, 2008: Drug Chain Walgreens to Slow New Store Growth; Despite Tesco Fresh & Easy's Recent Announcement to Do Similar, We Suggest An Analogy is Misplaced

>December 22, 2008: Breaking News: Mega-Drug Chain Walgreens Hires Former Tesco Fresh & Easy USA VP of Operations Brian Pugh For New VP of Format Development Position

>Monday, September 22, 2008: Key Personnel Breaking News: Co-Vice President of Retail Operations Brian Pugh No Longer Employed At Tesco Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market

[Editor's Note: Fresh & Easy Buzz will have more to come in the following days on Walgreens' move into fresh foods merchandising. Stay tuned.]