Fresh & Easy was an American retail chain that operated neighborhood grocery stores in the Western United States from 2007 to 2015. The company was established as a subsidiary of British retail giant Tesco, which invested approximately $1.6 billion in the venture. Fresh & Easy stores were designed to offer convenient, fresh food options in a smaller format than traditional supermarkets, typically ranging from 10,000 to 15,000 square feet. The chain positioned itself as a provider of fresh, high-quality food at affordable prices, with an emphasis on ready-to-eat meals, organic products, and private-label items. Fresh & Easy stores featured self-service checkout stations and focused on offering pre-packaged produce and meats to reduce waste and operational costs. Despite initial optimism, Fresh & Easy struggled to gain market share in the competitive U.S. grocery sector. The chain faced challenges including the 2008 financial crisis, cultural differences in American shopping habits, and strong competition from established retailers. In 2013, Tesco sold the chain to Yucaipa Companies, owned by billionaire Ron Burkle. However, the new ownership couldn’t turn the business around, and in October 2015, Fresh & Easy filed for bankruptcy and closed all its remaining stores, marking the end of its operations in the United States.