<p style="text-indent:0px; line-height:12px;"><span style="font-weight:bold;line-height:130%"> Austin, TX</span><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">By ANUK Staff<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">5.13.13</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>As Tesco’s Fresh & Easy chain grows in California, the organic grocery chain Whole Foods has reportedly taken a “good hard look” at a possible acquisition, according to Market Watch.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"> <img src="https://cdn.andnowuknow.com/legacyWriterImages/hl_wholefoods_may_2013_body00.jpg" alt="images 051313" /><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">“We will certainly be taking a look at it,” says Walter Robb, co-Chief Executive of Whole Foods. Robb also stated that there is no assurance that Whole Foods would offer to acquire one or more of the sites. </p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>Tesco confirms that there will be competition however and stated in mid-April that it has received “lots of interest” from potential buyers, some of this interest being in purchasing the entirety of the business.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><img src="https://cdn.andnowuknow.com/legacyWriterImages/hl_wholefoods_may_2013_body01.jpg" alt="images 051313" /><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Fresh & Easy, established in 2007, currently operates 199 stores in California, Arizona and Nevada. As the store has not performed to a level justifying the massive investment, Tesco plans to take a $1.8 billion charge to write off the Fresh & Easy business. </p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>Whole Foods plans to open 32 stores in the 2013 fiscal year and another 33 to 38 in 2014. “There is so much opportunity for us right now. I don’t see any competitor that slows us down,” said Robb.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href=" http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/" target="_new">Whole Foods Report </a></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">
