May 31, 2007 -- Supermarket war flares up again
The supermarket business is much more competitive than it was a decade ago. Smaller, more specialized and customer-oriented stores are taking more of the market share, and the big dogs are lowering prices to compete. Trader Joes, for example, is spreading across the country because its gotten so popular. The food is very high quality and the price is reasonable. Aldi is a lesser-known German supermarket with very limited products and hours. But people have gotten addicted to the prices, which are typically 40 percent less than typical grocery stores. The newest company to join the ranks is Tesco, a British company thought to be the most successful supermarket in the world. Tesco will open in Arizona, California and Nevada. They wont use the name Tesco, though. They will be called Fresh & Easy, and theyll be a cross between Trader Joes and Whole Foods. They could make it big, as other traditional grocery stores continue to struggle.