Hundreds of employees of the Fresh and Easy chain will be out of work as of Friday after several SoCal locations close. Most of the British chain stores, known for pre-made meals and self-check-outs, in Southern California will remain open, under new management. Conan Nolan reports from Paramount for NBC4 News at 5 p.m. on Sept. 19, 2013
Fresh & Easy store shelves were left bare Thursday as discount shoppers pounced on a 75 percent off sale at stores slated for closure.
The deep discount was being offered at 50 stores - including several in Southern California - that were set to shutter in the wake of Yucaipa Companies' acquisition of the grocery chain.
Fresh & Easy's email subscribers first received a notice last week with details on a 25 percent off sale, followed by 50 percent off and finally 75 percent off, while supplies lasted.
Some stores were scheduled to close up shop Thursday, while others planned to close Friday.
Multiple news outlets released lists of stores that are closing their doors, but some appear to have already closed ahead of the sale and many others did not answer multiple calls made by NBC4.
Fresh & Easy officials did not return messages seeking confirmation.
NBC4 has confirmed that the following stores are holding the sale and will be closing:
- Huntington Beach at 16672 Beach Blvd. (Map)
- Indio at 82900 Avenue 42 (Map)
- Palm Desert at 72885 Highway 111 (Map)
- Paramount at 15727 Downey Ave. (Map)
- Rialto at 2015 N Riverside Ave. (Map)
- San Bernardino at 1631 Highland Ave. (Map)
- Upland at 829 W Foothill Blvd. (Map)
The discounts exclude dairy products and are not valid with any other offer.
Tesco, Britain's largest retailer by sales, agreed to sell 150 of its lossmaking Fresh & Easy stores in the U.S. to Yucaipa Companies, a private investment firm. That left 50 of the chain's 200 stores scheduled for closure.
Tesco chief executive Philip Clarke said more than 4,000 jobs will be protected by the chain's sale
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Tesco said in April it planned to sell its U.S. stores, which were based in Arizona, California and Nevada. At the time, the company said its U.S. foray had lost it some $1.8 billion.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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