Fresh & Easy even sells an Australian answer to Trader Joe's illustrious Two Buck Chuck -- Big Kahuna Cabernet Shiraz, for $1.99.
The Fresh & Easy model is simple: The markets are relatively small, at about 10,000 square feet per store, and the advertising campaign includes references to environmentally friendly packaging and food free of artificial colors, flavors and trans fats. Stores are stocked with big names and in-house brands and offer more prepared entrees and side dishes than typical supermarkets.
Some industry watchers have said that Fresh & Easy might change the Southland's grocery-shopping landscape, if only because Tesco plans to open dozens more markets in the region by next year. (The six stores that debuted Thursday are in Anaheim, Arcadia, Hemet, Glassell Park, Upland and West Covina.)
As it is, traditional grocers are beefing up organic and gourmet options and are trying to make the food-shopping experience more pleasant and faster.
A British retailer it may be, but Tesco didn't make a big deal out of that. There were no bangers or mash at the Fresh & Easy stores The Times visited. The most British offering might have been from the former empire -- Indian chicken makhani -- although farmhouse Cheddar and Huntsman cheeses were on display.
For serious foodies who cook from scratch, Fresh & Easy might not do the trick. But for Donia Garcia, a working mother who lives near the Anaheim store, the prepackaged meals could be godsends. "It's going to make my life easier," she said.
Thursday's shopping experiences probably weren't typical. Tesco executives strolled the aisles, shaking hands and directing traffic.
"When the suits go away," said Jeanne Gordon of Mount Washington, "it'll be a nice place to shop."
Kleiman cautioned against making firm decisions right now, when floors aren't scuffed and none of the shopping carts is out of alignment yet.
"It's hard to separate the newness from the niceness," she said.
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alana.semuels@latimes.com
Times staff writers Roger Vincent, Peter Pae, Daniel Costello, Mary MacVean and Charles Perry contributed to this report.
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Comparing prices
A random sampling of products at the Fresh & Easy store in Eagle Rock and a Vons store in Echo Park:
4 rolls of Angel Soft toilet paper
Fresh & Easy: $1.18
Vons: $1.49
Colgate 6-ounce Total Advanced Clean toothpaste
Fresh & Easy: $2.97
Vons: $4.29
White rice, store brand, 28-ounce bag
Fresh & Easy: $2.54
Vons: $3.72
Sliced wheat bread, 16 ounces
Fresh & Easy: $1.61
Vons: $0.99
Instant oatmeal, store brand, 8 packets
Fresh & Easy: $1.79
Vons: $3.59
Doritos, 12.5-ounce bag
Fresh & Easy: $2.65
Vons: $3.49, or two for $5 with Vons card
1% milk, 1 gallon
Fresh & Easy: $3.48 (store brand)
Vons: $3.99 (Westwood brand), $5.99 (Vons organic brand)
Feta cheese, 8 ounces
Fresh & Easy: $3.78 (Mt. Vikos brand)
Vons: $4.99 (Athenos brand)
Whole pineapple
Fresh & Easy: $2.98
Vons: $3.99
Oreos, 18-ounce package
Fresh & Easy: $2.89
Vons: $3.49 (with Vons card)
Lays Classic potato chips, 13-ounce bag
Fresh & Easy: $2.65
Vons: $3.49, or buy one, get one for $1.66
-- Alana Semuels
