Tesco to launch Friends of Fresh & Easy loyalty card at its U.S. stores; trial of card will begin in Bakersfield, California, in fall, could expand to chain's 214 U.S. stores by February

Yohana Valdez

LOS ANGELES , July 18, 2011 (Industry Intelligence) – Tesco PLC will soon launch a version of the Clubcard loyalty program at its Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market U.S. chain, The Financial Times reported July 17.

In the past, Tesco has focused on offering the lowest prices, rather than giving discounts through a loyalty card.

Fresh & Easy CEO said the Friends of Fresh & Easy card is different from U.S. loyalty cards insofar as it could be used in place of coupons and to e-mail personalized offers. The card will be an extension of the current Friends of Fresh & Easy program, which periodically alerts customers to special offers, the publication stated.

A trial of the new card will be run in Bakersfield, California, in the fall and may be spread to all Fresh & Easy stores by next February, when the chain will have 214 stores. It currently has 176 stores.

The company has a target to recover costs in the U.S. by the end of fiscal year 2012-2013.

The primary source of this article is The Financial Times, New York, New York, on July 17, 2011.

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