easyFoodstore

easyFoodstore was a discount supermarket brand created and operated by easyGroup in London, England. It was conceived as a low-cost grocery experiment built around a deliberately narrow assortment and a simple pricing proposition rather than a conventional full-range supermarket model. The concept was first announced in 2013, and the trial store opened in February 2016 beside easyBus House, the headquarters of easyBus Ltd. The store differed from mainstream supermarkets in several notable ways. It carried approximately 100 products and did not use conventional consumer brands on its shelves. Its range focused on basic household necessities, including tinned foods, pasta, rice and cleaning products. The limited selection was intended to support simple operations and low prices, while the absence of branded products reinforced the store's value-oriented positioning. At launch, essential food items were offered at 25 pence each. The unusually low price attracted attention, but the store quickly encountered supply problems: only days after opening, it temporarily closed after selling out of stock. Following the initial launch period, the standard price became 50 pence per item, with the 25-pence price available during promotional periods rather than as a permanent everyday price. The initiative remained a single-store trial rather than developing into a national supermarket chain. By late 2021, the only trial location had closed. The brand is therefore best understood as a discontinued retail experiment within the wider easyGroup portfolio, rather than as an active supermarket operator. Its significance lies in testing whether a radically simplified grocery format and highly visible low-price message could work in the London market.

easyFoodstore emerged from easyGroup's 2013 proposal for a low-cost supermarket concept. Rather than attempting to reproduce the broad assortment, branded shelves and store network of established UK supermarket chains, the concept was designed as a deliberately constrained trial. The proposed model concentrated on essential groceries and household goods, used a very small product range, and avoided conventional product brands. The first and only known store opened in London in February 2016. Its location next to easyBus House connected the grocery experiment with an existing easyGroup operating site and placed it within the group's London business footprint. The store carried approximately 100 items, including tinned goods, pasta, rice and cleaning products. This narrow assortment was central to the concept: customers were offered basic necessities rather than a comprehensive weekly-shop destination. The launch price was set at 25 pence for essential food items. The price point generated considerable public interest, but the store soon faced an operational problem when it ran out of stock and had to close temporarily only days after opening. The incident highlighted the difficulty of matching supply with attention and demand, particularly for a new store built around an unusually low headline price. The pricing proposition subsequently changed. Products were sold at 50 pence each as the general price, while 25-pence pricing was used during promotional periods. This adjusted structure preserved the brand's discount identity but moved away from the original permanent 25-pence promise. The business did not progress beyond the initial London trial. There is no evidence in the supplied reference material of a broader store rollout, a substantial supermarket chain, or an expanded operating market. By late 2021, the sole trial shop had closed. easyFoodstore consequently became a defunct easyGroup retail experiment, remembered for its limited unbranded assortment, extreme introductory pricing, early stock shortage and brief operating life.

• 2021

  Trial store closes

  [1]EasyFoodstoreen.wikipedia.org

  The only easyFoodstore location had closed by late 2021.

• 2016

  First store opens in London

  [1]EasyFoodstoreen.wikipedia.org

  The first easyFoodstore location opened in February beside easyBus House in London.

• 2016

  Temporary closure caused by stock shortage

  [1]EasyFoodstoreen.wikipedia.org

  The store temporarily closed shortly after opening after selling out of stock.

• 2016

  Pricing moves from 25 pence to 50 pence

  [1]EasyFoodstoreen.wikipedia.org

  The standard item price became 50 pence, with 25-pence pricing limited to promotional periods.

• 2013

  easyFoodstore concept announced

  [1]EasyFoodstoreen.wikipedia.org

  easyGroup announced plans for a discount supermarket concept centered on a limited assortment of essential goods.

A highly simplified discount grocery concept focused on essential food and household products, minimal assortment, no conventional product brands, and prominently advertised low prices.

• Discount grocery retail · 2016

  Essential grocery assortment

  easyFoodstore's core offer consisted of approximately 100 basic products rather than a full supermarket range. The assortment included staple categories such as tinned goods, pasta and rice, alongside cleaning products and other household necessities. Products were not presented as conventional consumer brands, supporting the store's deliberately simple, low-cost retail proposition.

• 2021

  Closure of the single-store experimentStrategy

  Background

  easyFoodstore remained a one-location trial rather than expanding into a supermarket network.

  Action taken

  The sole trial store was closed by late 2021.

  Aftermath

  The easyFoodstore brand became defunct as an operating retail concept.

  Source

• 2016

  Launch of the London trial storeProduct launch

  Background

  easyGroup tested a narrowly focused discount supermarket format with a small unbranded range of essential food and household items.

  Action taken

  It opened a single store beside easyBus House in London in February 2016.

  Aftermath

  The store attracted immediate attention but temporarily ran out of stock soon after opening and did not develop into a wider chain.

  Source

• 2016

  Change from introductory 25-pence pricing to 50 pencePrice change

  Background

  The store initially promoted essential food items at 25 pence each.

  Action taken

  The general price was changed to 50 pence per item, with the 25-pence price used during promotions.

  Aftermath

  The brand retained a discount positioning but no longer maintained the original 25-pence price as its standard offer.

  Source

1. 1EasyFoodstoreen.wikipedia.org