Fresh & Easy Does It

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In response to the recession, The Times reports that Fresh & Easy will be slowing down its West Coast expansion. The affordable grocery store chain just opened its 100th store in Orange County and planned on "200 Fresh & Easy stores...operating across southern California, Arizona and Nevada by February next year," but is now shooting for next November. Part of the challenge of moving into Northern California, is that it "would require huge capital investment because of the need for a new distribution centre." Macro plans include "having 1,000 stores on the West Coast, stretching from Seattle to San Diego." [The Times]