Tesco Plans 100 “Green” U.S. Stores

Tesco, Britain’s biggest retailer, hopes to have 100 “Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Markets” in the U.S. by February, 2008, Reuters reports. The stores, smaller than those of traditional U.S. chains will focus on ready-to-eat meals and and environmentally friendly products.

To advertise its green credentials, the markets will have partially green exteriors and a white sail-shaped logo, Reuters writes. They will also make use of natural light to cut down on energy bills and emphasize recyclable packaging.

That might put the stores in competition with environmentally-friendly chains like Whole Foods. (Whole Foods already operates six “Fresh & Wild” stores in the U.K. and is opening a flagship store in London, MediaPost reports.)

Fourteen Tesco stores are in the works in the Las Vegas area, and 20 are slated for Phoenix, the article said. Los Angeles and San Diego are the other two markets Tesco is targeting in the launch.

Tesco’s environmental record will strike a chord with some U.S. shoppers:

The company recently announced its goal of selling 10 million energy-saving light bulbs over the next 12 months and that it would cut the cost of the bulbs in half.

Fortune Magazine named it one of its 10 green giants.

It was recently one of a group of top British retailers to join together in encouraging consumers to use fewer bags and re-use those that they already have.

The company’s initiatives aren’t all in the UK. In January it announced it was installing a $13 million solar roof on its five-building, 820,400-square-foot distribution center under construction in Riverside, California.