Across the Sea, and to the Coast

Well, Tesco has finally decided to become the US-based company it always wished to be, the New York Times recently reported. Heck, even their name connotes something straight out of a US horizontal market, so they'll fit right in.

However, the focus is on the West Coast, which the demographic generally points to the "liberal minded", the "greener" state in the Union. And I don't know if Tesco's directors really know this as well as they should. Yes, Tesco has the trans fat department covered with little labels and mini-departments playing to the so-called health conscious shopper. But in terms of green conscious, eh, they're a little lacking.

In the UK they have a growing reputation with consumers of being a Wal-Mart type monopoly in the CPI (consumer products industry). They are marvelous in their direct marketing techniques, and IT strategies on a whole. However, in the US, especially in the West, the audience they're aiming at are going to want to know their environmental, organic intentions before they swap to what Tesco offers . And if the potential consumers were aware of the gruff that Tesco gets from it's consumers (hesitant, but contractual, it seems, nonetheless), Tesco may find itself struggling like any company who treads in foreign markets without a complete understanding of their new consumer.

Good Luck to them. But my bet's on Whole Foods move to London.

R.