On 2012-12-06 19:22:32 +0000, sf said:

> On Thu, 6 Dec 2012 08:37:37 -0800, gtr > wrote:
>
>> Jeez, that took a lot longer than I expected for them to ditch their
>> 200 stores, give up and go home.
>
> Good riddance.
>>
>> Neither fresh nor easy,
>
> Fresh is debatable, but they certainly were NOT easy. A F & E was
> next to the restaurant we ate at last night, so I went in for a bottle
> of wine and we got two packages of pork chops because they were on a
> two for one sale (two pounds of extra thick center cut boneless chops
> for $5+) - three separate items. That's it. Error after error, redo,
> redo, redo. We would have been there all evening if the guard hadn't
> come over to help.
>
>> and as it turns out amazingly arrogant. They
>> apparently hired all kinds of local consultants to explain why they
>> were going down a hole, then rejected everything that had to say. May
>> stupid is a better word.
>>
>> LA Times this morning: http://tinyurl.com/cdbdj9g
>
> I wonder if the sterile atmosphere at Fresh & Easy is typical of Tesco
> in the UK too?

I get the impression that everything the brits have learned to live
with oughta be good enough for lesser mammals like Americans. Read the
article if you didn't already, it really is surprising how many stupid
things they could do, with the unshakeable belief that Americans would
wake up and "get it"; that whatever the Brits tolerate we would embrace.

> They are cold stores to shop in and I don't mean the
> temperature. They exude a "my way or the highway" attitude and
> self-check out only with no option for human contact when you leave
> cements the idea that they'd rather you just stayed home and shopped
> by computer.

They had no intent of allowing unions in either, so I was told. It's
the ATM approach to food distribution: It's GOT to be better, because
it's less cost and hassles for the owners.

> If a grocery chain was ever absolutely perfect for
> switching over to computerized shopping with delivery to home/office
> or pick up at the store, it is Fresh & Easy...

Dang, that IS a good idea. It doesn't suprise me that they missed the
boat on that either. If a boat in the water, you'd find their geniuses
on a bus somewhere.

> ...but of course, that suggestion would have fallen on deaf ears too.
> So, F&E don't let the door hit you on the butt as you leave.

Su If they want to do a crummy grocery store--just look around and
emulate what we already have--is that so difficult!