Changes at Fresh & Easy

More deli and meat selections, better signage and additional "international" products are in the works, according to the OC Register's Nancy Luna. An announcement could come as early as next week. Analysts say that the fledgling chain, which is owned by the British retailer Tesco, has not been doing well (store openings were suspended in March in order to smooth out the wrinkles). Tesco executives insist that sales are just fine, but I'll side with the analysts. Businesses don't make wholesale changes after six months if everything is terrific. Luna went to two OC stores to see what was happening.

Employees at both the Orange and Laguna Hills stores (who were incredibly friendly to this undercover shopper) said stores are receiving more new items daily, especially in the deli and meat aisle. New items are also marked with blue “new” labels, so products stand out. For example, I bought some ready-to-cook “pork sausage pinwheels” and “Texas brand ribs,” both new items I found in Orange. I was told by an employee that stores are adding more sausages and ready-to-cook meats based on customer feedback.