Tesco launches surprise soft opening

HEMET, Calif. Tesco opened its first U.S. store ahead of schedule this morning with a soft opening of its store in Hemet, Calif., a small town 75 miles southeast of Los Angeles and 30 miles from its main distribution center in Riverside, Calif.

Tesco said it needed to open one Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market ahead of its six-store grand opening on Nov. 8 “to test the systems in the store” with real customers. Hemet was among the six stores due to open Nov. 8 in Southern California with locations in Los Angeles, Upland, Anaheim, West Covina and Arcadia.

Tesco has a second round of five openings planned for Nov. 14 in Las Vegas and intends to move into San Diego and Las Vegas by the end of November.