By Terry Miller
Fresh & Easy announced Friday that they are closing about 30 stores, including Arcadia, Azusa and Pasadena stores.
Company CEO Jim Keyes said the stores to be closed were not performing to expectations.
“While the decision to close any store is always difficult, we believe it’s really important to use this opportunity to redeploy the cash that we’re spending in these locations into other locations that are better suited to the needs of the customers,” Keyes said.
Since 2007, Fresh & Easy has struggled to establish itself in a crowded landscape for natural and organic grocery stores. It was the brainchild of Tesco, a huge supermarket in England.
It was Tesco’s first venture into the U.S. market. Analysts said the company made a mistake when it tried to transplant its British retail format with private-label products and little to no service.
In 2013, Fresh & Easy filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after operating for several years without earning a profit.