polar bears at fresh & easy?

This picture means a lot to us. Every store we open will have it in the back area, every new fresh&easy employee will receive a card from our CEO, with this picture on the front.

Why?

My 9 year old son got it first time: "Daddy, the polar bears are drowning because global warming is melting the ice. We have to do something."

The picture is a reminder for us to be careful about our impact on the environment. That's why we've invested in California's largest solar roof installation, to help power our distribution center. Why we've partnered with RMG, a San Diego based recycling and waste services company, so that we can reuse or recycle all our shipping and display materials.

And why we've built energy saving features into our store design, such as the use of LED lighting in our freezers, cooler doors and outside signage. Indeed, we think we've reduced the energy usage of the stores we're building by c.30%. We've joined the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) volume certification pilot program, to get them LEED rated (check it out...)

But the picture also reminds us to take a much more thoughtful approach to everything we do.

To be thoughtful about how food is produced. We've gone to great lengths, for example, to work with our suppliers to ensure our private label products contain no artificial colors and flavors, no added transfats, and only use artificial preservatives when absolutely necessary. Indeed, several suppliers have commented that no one has ever asked them so many questions about this before.

To be thoughtful about the work environment we create. Our approach to working shoulder to shoulder that I talked about last week is an example of that.

And to bring the benefits of fresh, wholesome and affordable food to all types of neighborhoods, including those traditionally underserved by modern grocery stores

Does this mean we're perfect?
Of course not, there's always trade-offs, and we already have a long list of things we want to do, but haven't yet been able to achieve.

But having talked to many people in many different ways about their ideal grocery store, their ideal workplace, and their ideal neighborhood, we're convinced there's an appetite for thoughtful consumption, as long as it's affordable and convenient.

As ever, we'll only find out if we've got it right when we open our first stores, later this year.

If we have, it should be good for customers, employees, neighborhoods, and shareholders alike.....and also, in some very small way, for those polar bears.....alright son?