General Discussion

Sen. Walter Sobchak

(8,692 posts)

60. Fresh & Easy was doomed from the beginning

Wed May 13, 2015, 12:43 AM

May 2015

It was Tesco parachuting their Tesco Metro stores into the US seemingly blindly and they started in the southwestern US which was the least amicable possible market for the format. That was dumb enough, then they put their small format stores in close proximity to real supermarkets.

If they started in urban areas in the northeast where people are far less mobile they probably would have been successful.

Edit history

Please sign in to view edit histories.

Recommendations

0 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

105 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Giving the Poor Easy Access to Healthy Food Doesn�t Mean They�ll Buy It [View all] brooklynite May 2015 OP

Perhaps these people are already addicted to processed food. Wilms May 2015 #1

I'm not sure about that Aerows May 2015 #62

Maybe they haven't had the opportunity to learn how to prepare meals from scratch? cyberswede May 2015 #2

+1. I volunteer at a food pantry that has its own urban garden. winter is coming May 2015 #18

Exactly right Aerows May 2015 #34

My 85 year old mother lives with me.......... mrmpa May 2015 #68

I thought about this when shopping for groceries to be picked up by my letter carrier in CTyankee May 2015 #90

Maybe the answer is to look at what the target group is eating now and work from there. GreatGazoo May 2015 #91

You make good points cyberswede May 2015 #97

when non-profits and government agencies dabble in capitalism they bring their perspective with them GreatGazoo May 2015 #100

In general, Americans don't cook very much and don't know how cali May 2015 #3

I agree Aerows May 2015 #43

Why isn't cooking and nutrition part of our HS curriculum... oh yeah, too busy taking tests JCMach1 May 2015 #96

It was in the 1960s -- but just for girls - the boys had some kind of shop class karynnj May 2015 #103

Yeah, they used to call it Home Economics... There seriously needs to be a revival JCMach1 May 2015 #105

That doesn't really surprise me. Marr May 2015 #4

Things that are inexpensive to cook Aerows May 2015 #6

I had NO idea about kidney beans and toxicity. DawgHouse May 2015 #7

You have to soak them Aerows May 2015 #8

Oh I immediately went and looked this up online when you mentioned it. DawgHouse May 2015 #9

That's an example of Aerows May 2015 #10

That's a great link, thanks! haikugal May 2015 #49

My secret recipe Aerows May 2015 #52

Celery? Interesting, I'll try it. Thx! haikugal May 2015 #53

You will be regarded as an exceptional chef Aerows May 2015 #54

Well I'm honored! haikugal May 2015 #56

Oh, an P.S. Aerows May 2015 #59

Oh, lol... haikugal May 2015 #64

My mother, bless her Aerows May 2015 #65

Ha! I have similar stories...lol haikugal May 2015 #66

An alternative to soaking them is to give them a 10 minute preliminary boil Major Nikon May 2015 #20

I can't see how that works Aerows May 2015 #21

When cooking kidney beans you boil at first for 10 min then slow cook tammywammy May 2015 #71

Everyone that wants to cook red beans like that Aerows May 2015 #72

They won't. tammywammy May 2015 #73

Uh huh. Aerows May 2015 #74

Iffy results? Did they properly boil the beans for 10 min before low simmer? tammywammy May 2015 #76

Go right ahead Aerows May 2015 #77

I recall taking both thise classes Telcontar May 2015 #11

Absolutely. jwirr May 2015 #14

We really do Aerows May 2015 #15

What's funny is I've done all those things just recently Telcontar May 2015 #46

You aren't alone Aerows May 2015 #51

That is a good idea but not going to happen yeoman6987 May 2015 #69

so THAT is why that cretin in WI is trying to prevent people on food stamps from buying bulk beans- niyad May 2015 #33

You've got to be kidding me Aerows May 2015 #36

I wish I were kidding. the jerk's name is robert brooks, and the list of foods he wants to niyad May 2015 #37

The foaming at the mouth idiocy of Republican Aerows May 2015 #38

I am just thankful for unlimited minutes on my phone. niyad May 2015 #40

here is just one of the threads on that cretin. niyad May 2015 #39

"The poor aren't punished enough!" Aerows May 2015 #41

Just look in the freezer.. haikugal May 2015 #35

Right on the money Aerows May 2015 #42

Neither study apparently controlled for affordability factors. Gormy Cuss May 2015 #5

I honestly believe Aerows May 2015 #16

Message auto-removed Name removed May 2015 #84

Saw this here in SF -- Hell Hath No Fury May 2015 #12

But Fresh & Easy also closed in more affluent East Bay areas. Gormy Cuss May 2015 #17

The Bay View/Hunters Point store -- Hell Hath No Fury May 2015 #47

Fresh & Easy was doomed from the beginning Sen. Walter Sobchak May 2015 #60

This does not surprise me. Many people have been eating junk food and "poverty" foods for jwirr May 2015 #13

Message auto-removed Name removed May 2015 #85

Oh, by the way Aerows May 2015 #19

You are exactly right Aerows LeftOfWest May 2015 #22

No need to be delicate for my sake... brooklynite May 2015 #24

I see...an article that identifies an unresolved problem in urban society is "tacky"... brooklynite May 2015 #23

It was a tacky post. n/t Aerows May 2015 #25

Don't be shy...tell everyone why an analytical piece by the New York Times is tacky... brooklynite May 2015 #27

I don't need the New York Times Aerows May 2015 #28

Where's the self-righteousness? brooklynite May 2015 #29

Uh Aerows May 2015 #31

In many of the OP's posts CreekDog May 2015 #70

The NYT LOVES scolding the poor, otherwise David Brooks would have nothing to write. LeftyMom May 2015 #50

It would be mind-numbing Aerows May 2015 #61

+10000000 n/t Jamastiene May 2015 #81

wtf? treestar May 2015 #92

if I am hungry and I have the choice between chili and fruit Skittles May 2015 #26

And fruit is mostly water. n/t Jamastiene May 2015 #79

absolutely correct Skittles May 2015 #80

Exactly... Jamastiene May 2015 #82

No.... sendero May 2015 #30

It's so strange Aerows May 2015 #32

Aerows, when I read things along the lines of what is described in the OP, I'm bullwinkle428 May 2015 #44

My thoughts Aerows May 2015 #45

Message auto-removed Name removed May 2015 #86

It's not about access, it's about the difficulty of altering the poverty culture. Psephos May 2015 #48

Excellent point. Aerows May 2015 #63

Message auto-removed Name removed May 2015 #87

Good point. treestar May 2015 #94

There's a time factor. Chellee May 2015 #55

I think there is also Aerows May 2015 #67

Lack of cooking utensils is another issue. greatlaurel May 2015 #57

I really think this is a time and living arragements issue Sen. Walter Sobchak May 2015 #58

There's a few reasons that it didn't change tammywammy May 2015 #75

On Monday I didn't accept a bag of fresh vegetables daredtowork May 2015 #78

Tired get the red out May 2015 #83

This message was self-deleted by its author greatlaurel May 2015 #88

You also need access to gollygee May 2015 #89

Maybe they could put some money into education or cooking classes treestar May 2015 #93

We don't come from the womb knowing how to cook lentils. Nor are utensils free. KittyWampus May 2015 #95

Honestly, I don't think I could cut up vegetables and meat and sauce and put it in a crock pot first CTyankee May 2015 #99

Hence, the small food processor. Removes need for knives and knife-work. KittyWampus May 2015 #101

A crockpot Aerows May 2015 #104

Yes, because poor people are actually people kcr May 2015 #98

I wonder if they considered the cost of a family transitioning to making fresh food karynnj May 2015 #102