Fresh & Easy…and Green!

Fresh & Easy…and Green!
By: Timothy Boe

No matter how fertile the soil, the nature of the harvest will always be determined by the kind and quality of the seeds that are planted. With this in mind, it bodes well for American grocery shoppers that one of the more recent newcomers to the retail landscape is a branch of a company with roots deeply embedded in the ecology movement. Tesco, the UK’s largest retailer and one of the world’s leading international grocers has landed on American shores and is rolling out it’s innovative neighborhood sized grocery stores…Fresh & Easy.

It is said that “the apple does not fall far from the tree.” In the case of Fresh & Easy and it’s relationship to parent company Tesco, nothing could be closer to the truth. Advancing Tesco’s long standing tradition of environmental stewardship, ethical trading and community outreach is making Fresh & Easy a welcome addition to neighborhoods throughout the greater Southwest. With the simple goal of making fresh high-quality groceries available and affordable for everyone, Fresh & Easy is being enthusiastically embraced by Communities with much anticipation and fanfare.

What they are saying… 

“People line up outside the new Fresh and Easy grocery store at 15230 Vanowen St. in Van Nuys CA. before it opened it’s doors for the first time on Wednesday, August 6, 2008. (Hans Gutknecht/Daily News)The British invaded Van Nuys on Wednesday, when U.K.-owned grocery retailer Tesco opened its first Fresh & Easy market in the San Fernando Valley. Drawn by the promise of fresh and wholesome food at affordable prices, hundreds of shoppers flocked to the neighborhood store at Vanowen Street and Sepulveda Boulevard. After stocking up on both name- and store-brand items, shoppers rang up and bagged their own groceries at self-checkout stations.” (www.dailynews.com)

“On the heels of opening six new stores in July, Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market said it received over 10,000 applications for jobs in the past month, and the number of people applying to work at Fresh & Easy has nearly quadrupled since May. ‘With every store we open, we are bringing new jobs that pay well and offer great benefits,’ said Tim Mason, Fresh & Easy c.e.o. ‘We’ve put a lot of effort into treating our employees with respect and valuing them as people. Our efforts are clearly paying off with the continued increase in people wanting to work with us.” (www.progressivegrocer.com)

“A middle-aged shopper at Point Loma’s Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market plucked a box of butter from the shelf yesterday and peered with a puzzled expression at the unfamiliar brand. ‘That’s Irish butter, madam, you can’t do any better,’ said Fresh & Easy Chief Executive Tim Mason, his crisp British accent ringing through the aisle.” And into the basket it went. The 10,000-square-foot Point Loma store, which was mobbed during the grand opening yesterday by coupon-clutching shoppers, is the seventh to open in the county since November.” (www.signonsandiego.com)

“No, it seems that the majority of retailers that are serious about their hooch come in buildings the size of airplane hangars. Everyone knows about Trader Joe’s solid selection of value-centric wines, but recent visits to Fresh & Easy also made me sit up and take notice. The company boasts many wine exclusives like Trader Joe’s, one being delicious Pink Flamingo Rosé, a dry-styled pink from south Australia that is made of 100 percent shiraz. Exotic Recoleta Malbec from Argentina and top-notch Reflexion Rioja Reserva, a rich Spanish red, are also recommended. Wine guru Robert Parker even gave Reflexion 90 points during a recent critique.” (www.eastvalleytribune.com)

A commitment to green building

“We are trying to set a global example by measuring and reducing our greenhouse gas emissions, helping to stimulate the development of low carbon technology and by empowering consumers by providing them with choice, value and information,” states Fresh & Easy CEO, Tim Mason. Backing up these words with action, the 500,000 square feet of solar panels on the new Fresh & Easy distribution center in Riverside, CA span the size of five football fields and are considered one of the largest roof-mounted solar installations in North America.

Not stopping there, Fresh & Easy has developed a prototype for their individual 10,000 square foot sized stores that employ the latest in sustainable building measures. As a company Fresh & Easy has joined Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design’s volume certification program, enabling them to build multiple LEED certified buildings using the same prototype.

Some of the features included in their buildings include:

Skylights on Fresh & Easy buildings with overhead lighting that dims automatically as ambient light levels increase from natural sources.

Increased insulation, reducing the need for heating and air conditioning.

Night shades on refrigeration cases to keep cool air from escaping.

Hybrid parking spaces and bike racks for employees and customers.

In-store recycling available for employees and customers.

Secondary-loop system on refrigeration cases designed to capture and reuse cool air.

LED lighting in external signage and freezer cases, reducing energy use.

Water conserving plumbing fixtures.

Buildings constructed from environmentally friendly materials.

Low VOC emitting finishes and materials as part of creating indoor environmental quality for customers and employees

These innovations have resulted in making Fresh & Easy stores 30% more energy efficient than the typical supermarket (through a modeling exercise from Southern California Edison Savings by Design).

A Good Neighbor

In addition to”walking the walk” in relation to building design and construction methods, Fresh & Easy practices common sense good neighbor policies and is involved in community outreach programs.

Fresh & Easy is a member of the California Climate Action Registry, California’s only voluntary registry for greenhouse gas emissions, and the Climate registry, a group that standardized the measurement for greenhouse gas emissions across North America. www.climateregistry.org

Every store recycles all of it’s display and shipping materials

Fresh & Easy offers only energy-efficient light bulbs in it’s stores.

Fresh & Easy does not sell tobacco products.

Fresh & Easy trucks are designed to significantly reduce noise. Trucks will not drive through school zones during student drop-off and pick-up times, and deliveries are only permitted during designated hours.

Each store is provided with a budget to make product donations to the local neighborhood.

Fresh & Easy aims to recruit staff from the local neighborhood.

Out of respect for the indoor environment, Fresh & Easy uses only eco-friendly cleaning products, while keeping their stores immaculately clean and tidy.

With own-brand products accounting for over 70% of sales, Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market recently announced plans to introduce over 200 new own-brand products by the end of 2008.

Over 80% of customers cite Fresh & Easy’s own-brand products as one of the main reasons they shop at the stores, based on the company’s customer surveys. Customers are drawn to Fresh & Easy by the everyday low prices and the convenience of a store located right in the neighborhood. Fresh & Easy customers also like the own-brand ready-to-eat meal options which are like what they would make at home. All Fresh & Easy products contain no artificial flavors or colors, no added trans fats and only use preservatives when absolutely necessary.

A 2008 Food Market Institute U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends study recently found consumers are increasingly interested in what is in their food. For example, at least half of shoppers scan food items for trans fat content when deciding to purchase a product. Consumers are increasingly seeking ready-to-eat meals, with more than half of the shoppers surveyed interested in more convenient food options. The study also notes price is the most important factor in making decisions about purchasing a particular food item.

“People increasingly want food that is more like they would make in their own kitchens,” said Tim Mason, Fresh & Easy CEO. “At Fresh & Easy, we are able to offer fresh, wholesome products at incredible prices without the additives and preservatives they don’t want. Our products are a win-win for customers.”

Great food you can trust

Fresh & Easy believes everyone deserves fresh, wholesome food at affordable prices.

Each store will offer a carefully selected range of Fresh & Easy label and national brand products at affordable prices, including high-quality meat and fresh produce.

Private label Fresh & Easy products contain no artificial colors or flavors, no added trans fats, and only use preservatives when absolutely necessary.

Fresh & Easy eggs are cage-free.

Fresh & Easy’s milk and butter come from California cows that have not been treated with the growth hormone rBST.

Produce is packed, date-coded and delivered daily so you know it’s fresh.

Fresh & Easy aims to source locally wherever possible. For example, over 60% of its produce comes from California..

A sign of things to come

With all the legitimate “hand wringing” that is going on in our society today as the news and evidence of climate change and environmental overload keep rolling in, it’s some consolation to know that there are companies who are committed to doing their part to reduce that unfortunate trend. Clearly Tesco and their offspring Fresh & Easy are outstanding examples of companies who have seen the problem while stepping to the forefront with an offering of solutions.

This is obviously good news for those of us who are holding the vision for a reversal of environmental fortunes…and what better place to start than with the building and retail industry. Even better news however is that companies like Fresh & Easy are no longer the exception to the rule. ICSC (the International Council of Shopping Centers) recently sponsored an all green conference in Addison, TX where leaders from the retail industry came together to share their positive experiences in embracing the Retail Green Agenda.

At that conference a book of the same name was given out to the attendees. Chocked full of green building and energy management tips for the retail industry, BOE Eco-tects purchased a couple cases to pass out to interested parties…and they went like hotcakes. You may order your own copy from ICSC by clicking here.

Included in that publication were many examples of how numerous retail chains are finding that through thoughtful green insight they are not only saving big on operating energy costs, but are also seeing an increase in retail sales in the stores that employ green design principles. 

Surprise…surprise…people prefer shopping in environments where the air is fresh and the isles are well illuminated by natural light. Recognizing that these same stores are taking responsibility by practicing environmental stewardship also strengthens customer loyalty. Finally…knowing that these practices are helping to ease the burden on our one and only home…Planet Earth, makes the greening of retail a win/win arrangement for all.

Fresh & Easy invites you to share your thoughts at: www.freshandeasy.com/yourthoughts …you may access their store website at: www.freshandeasy.com