Thursday, August 19, 2010

Tesco Will Open its First Eight Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market Stores in Northern California in 'Early 2011'


Northern California Market Special Report

Tesco's Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market announced today in a press release it plans to open its first eight stores in Northern California in "early 2011."

The announcement today by Fresh & Easy comes a mere 19 days later than we predicted it would.

In this June 26, 2010 story - Tesco Planning to Announce in July When First Northern California Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market Stores to Open - Fresh & Easy Buzz predicted the grocer would make such an announcement before the end of July, adding that since the timeline for its Northern California launch has been an ever-fluid and changing topic at Tesco, the announcement could come a bit later than we predicted.

Tesco's Fresh & Easy didn't offer a specific date in its press release today for when the first eight Northern California stores would open, instead saying the first batch of stores will open in "early 2011." However, our most recent reporting, prior to today's announcement, has been that the first stores will open in February or March 2011, which is "early 2011." For example, read our latest piece on the topic here: July 29, 2010 - Tesco's Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market Putting Together List of Managers Interested in Transferring to Northern California.

Additionally, in a story published yesterday [August 17, 2010: Henry's Farmers Market 'Beats' Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market to Northern California Despite Multi-Year Head Start; Elk Grove Store Opens Tomorrow], as part of our 'Northern California Market Special Report' series, we discussed Tesco Fresh & Easy's potentially closing window of opportunity in Northern California if the grocer doesn't announce it plans for the region. A day later Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market has announced it plans to open its first eight Northern California.
stores in "early 2011."

The locations of the first eight stores to open early next year are:

>San Francisco: 3rd St & Carroll Ave
>San Jose: Bird Ave & Minnesota Ave
>Danville: Diablo Blvd & Hwy 680
>Pacifica: Cabrillo Hwy & Linda Mar Blvd
>Vacaville: Elmira Rd & Nut Tree Rd
>Modesto: Oakdale Rd & Lancey Dr
>Walnut Creek: Ygnacio Valley Rd & San Carlos Dr
>Concord: Clayton Rd & Ygnacio Valley Rd

The San Francisco, San Jose, Walnut Creek, Concord and Danville stores (all located in the San Francisco Bay Area) and the Vacaville (between the Bay Area and Sacramento) locations are all part of the original 37 Fresh & Easy stores in Northern California that Tesco announced it planned to open nearly three years ago.

The Pacifica (Bay Area) and Modesto (Northern Central Valley) stores have never been confirmed by Tesco's Fresh & Easy, although we've reported on the locations extensively, until now. [See our Northern California Fresh & Easy Store List for the 37 confirmed locations in Northern California, along with the numerous unconfirmed locations we've reported on.]

[Read this piece on Fresh & Easy in Modesto, California - March 31, 2009: Despite Having Postponed its Northern California Launch Indefinitely; Tesco's Fresh & Easy Planning Third Store in Modesto, California. Also see the links to earlier stories on the topic at the story.]

[Read our lastest story on the Pacifica location - July 21, 2010: Vacant Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market Store in Pacifica, California Has the City's Mayor in a Pickle.]

[Also read this recent column by our 'The Insider' columnist - July 18, 2010: When it Comes to Northern California - its Competitors are Rome Burning and Tesco's Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market is Nero Playing the Fiddle.]

[We've written about all of the eight stores, along with numerous others, over the last three years. You can look through this link and also here for a selection, along with searching by store, city, ect. at the link. Also see the many links to other posts in the various stories.]

In April 2010, Fresh & Easy Buzz began our ongoing 'Northern California Market Special Report' series. We did so specifically for the purpose of covering Fresh & Easy in Northern California, as well as the larger market, as a run up to today's announcement by Tesco's Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market. For any readers who might have wondered why we've been devoting so much effort to Northern California since April, now you know why. Our special report series on the region will continue.

Fresh & Easy Buzz will be offering additional coverage, analysis and commentary on Tesco's announcement today regarding the opening of its first eight Fresh & Easy stores in Northern California in "early 2011." Stay tuned...

But until then, we suggest you read the stories linked above, along with reading the stories linked below, which have appeared thus far in our 'Northern California Market Special Report' series.

August 17, 2010: Henry's Farmers Market 'Beats' Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market to Northern California Despite Multi-Year Head Start; Elk Grove Store Opens Tomorrow

July 29, 2010: Tesco's Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market Putting Together List of Managers Interested in Transferring to Northern California

July 25, 2010: Safeway to Start Construction on New Pleasanton, California Flagship Store Soon; Thanksgiving 2011 Target Opening

July 22, 2010: 'The Insider' - After Four Years in the High Weeds in Northern & Central California, Kroger Co. is Emerging to Grow its Foods Co Chain

July 21, 2010: Vacant Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market Store in Pacifica, California Has the City's Mayor in a Pickle

July 18, 2010: 'The Insider' - When it Comes to Northern California - its Competitors are Rome Burning and Tesco's Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market is Nero Playing the Fiddle

July 14, 2010: Tony Bennett Has Nothing on Whole Foods Market When it Comes to Loving San Francisco...That City By the Bay

July 6, 2010: Walmart Looking for Store Sites in Northern California For 20,000 Sq-Ft Neighborhood Market by Walmart Prototype Store

June 28, 2010: Smart & Final to Open its New Format SmartCo Foods Stores in California and Arizona

June 26, 2010: Tesco Planning to Announce in July When First Northern California Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market Stores to Open

June 14, 2010: Newly-Named Whole Foods Market CO-CEO Walter Robb Comes Full Circle With the Opening of the New Store in Mill Valley CA

June 5, 2010: Sprouts Farmers Market Opens First Northern California Store in Sunnyvale; Strikes Up Partnership With Local Non-Profit Farm

May 29, 2010: Going Rural: Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market to Build First Store in Los Banos, California

May 28, 2010: First Phase of Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market-Anchored Condo Development in San Francisco's Bayview Set For Completion in June

April 19, 2010: Tesco Debating Whether to Launch Fresh & Easy Into Northern California This Fiscal Year... or Wait

May 9, 2010: A Whopping 15 of Whole Foods Market's 41 New Stores in Development are in California - And Nine of The 15 Are In Northern CA

May 8, 2010: Sprouts, and Likely Henry's to Beat Fresh & Easy to Northern California Despite it's Big Head Start

May 6, 2010: Going Smaller & Getting 'Hybrid': Walmart's Smaller Supercenter in Vacant Retail Buildings Strategy Began in 2008

April 19, 2010: Tesco Debating Whether to Launch Fresh & Easy Into Northern California This Fiscal Year... or Wait

Additionally: Click here to read a selection of past stories on Tesco's Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market and Northern California. Click the "older posts" link at the bottom of the linked pages for additional posts/pages.

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