Shop for Schools

Two weeks ago we launched our Shop for Schools program at the opening of our 126th location in Long Beach.

Earlier this year we piloted the program to raise money for K-8th grade schools in the neighborhoods around our stores. We saw an incredible response as schools raised more than $130,000 for whatever they need the funds for. Our store employees, parents and customers all pitched in with ways to enhance the program for this year’s version, so we are hopeful that even more schools will participate!

We have also added a Shopping Night to the program, which allows all registered schools to receive 5% of a store’s sales on a particular evening. One of our Las Vegas team members – Jackie Urban –came up with the idea, which we tried out with such success we decided to roll it out for all of our participating schools.

Check out a video on Shop for Schools from earlier this year.

Be sure to check with your local school to see if they are participating – it is not too late to participate! Schools have until October 1st (THURSDAY!) to sign-up at our website

squaring the circle at fresh & easy

Right from the start, we've been delighted by the customer response to our stores - they see us offering better/fresher products, cheaper prices, and just taking that bit extra care in everything we do.

For some, we've become their main shop. They've found that we help them eat better and save money on all their weekly shopping. And they've realized we can do it because we've kept things really simple.

But from others, there's one recurring point we hear - you can't be both better and cheaper, as you're only a small store. And small stores are either more expensive (specialty), or lesser quality (dollar). Since your quality is really good, you must be expensive if I tried to do all my shopping with you. It's just not possible to be both.

Now that we've got 125 stores open, we can tackle this point head on, with our first advertising campaign.

We sat down with customers, to explore ways of doing this, and as ever what emerged was refreshingly straightforward - show how keeping things simple lets you be both better and cheaper; and let your loyal customers tell the story for you.

So from this Wednesday, billboards and posters will be springing up around our stores, and banner ads on the internet, as well as a new treatment in-store - all pointing out in different ways how we keep things simple, to save you money.



While on the radio, you'll be hearing ads featuring some of our loyal customers, telling the story for us...

We may have set out to square a particular circle, by showing that it is possible for us to be both better and cheaper, through keeping things simple.

But the fact that a business that simply tries to listen to customers, and then give them what they want, has been rewarded by its customers wanting to tell its story for it, speaks to a deeper circle of trust.

And that, surely, is how it should be...

1000 ways to show we listened at fresh & easy

Next Wednesday, we finish a 5 month programme, which has seen us add over 1000 products to our stores.

We've always taken a simple approach to business - listen to what your customers are asking for, then deliver it. By doing this year-in, year-out, you're always making the shopping trip better.

So when we heard our customers say they really liked our stores, we also heard them ask for more help in stretching their budget, in these difficult times - by providing more family packs, and low price alternatives to their favorite brands.

They also wanted more fresh&easy brand products, since they have ingredient lists you can actually pronounce, as well as a few more favorite brands, so they didn't have to go elsewhere.

And, there was little that they wanted taken away.

Of course, the walls of our stores aren't made of rubber - you can't just expand them - , but we worked out a way of accomodating all these products, by increasing the height of some of our fixtures, adding extra freezers and chillers, and refining our use of space. Naturally, we tested it with customers, and they preferred the changes we proposed.

However, to make this all happen across our 125 stores was a bit like a jigsaw puzzle - you had to put one piece in place before you could do another -, which is why it's been a 5 month programme. It's been a huge amount of work for everyone, but the end result is impressive.

There's now more family packs in key areas across the store, just have a look at our meat aisle, household and pet aisles, or cereals.

There's over 200 new amazingly low priced alternatives to national brands, but of the same quality, such as our Mothers Joy cereals, Riot Cola, Bistro frozen meals, Allegro bathroom tissue, or Steel Kettle beer.

There's a few brands we didn't have before, like Dreyers ice cream or Orowheat bread, and a much extended selection of Frozen, Household, Pet and Health&Beauty products.

And of course, more fresh&easy brand products, such as our microsteamer meals, family size meals, or breakfast bowls (all fresh from our own Kitchen), Goodness lunchables for kids, Black Angus beef, Pita chips, baby toiletries, or our Retreat natural spa range.

Finally, next Wednesday, we redo produce, which will add more fresh&easy products, more 98c produce packs, and a greater selection of loose fruit.

Has all this changed the original vision for fresh&easy?

Not at all.

It was always designed to offer fresh, wholesome food, as well your favorite brands, all at amazingly low prices, so you didn't have to go elsewhere.

By listening to our customers, and then doing something about it, we're simply ensuring the shopping trip continues to deliver that vision for them.

And that, surely, is how it should be...

Retreat at fresh&easy

You may have noticed a lot of changes around our shops this summer. That’s because we’ve been adding over 1,000 new products based on your feedback including larger family sizes, budget-friendly choices that are national brand quality, more top name brands and even more fresh&easy branded products!

Most recently, we’ve added more choices to our health & beauty aisle including our own brand of beauty products called Retreat. We developed our Retreat line using the same high-quality standards that all fresh&easy products are known for i.e. no artificial ingredients & minimal preservatives… So, our Retreat products have no artificial colors, parabens, mineral oils or harsh SLS detergents. And most of these new items are priced under $5!

More high-quality choices offered at affordable prices based on customer feedback! Now that’s fresh&easy…

Have you tried our Retreat products yet? If so, leave a comment and tell us what you think!!!

Cheers,

Gary