Tesco knows loyalty like no other.(Opinion)

In fall 2007, the United States will have its first experience of Tesco. After more than 10 years of rising market share and profits, Tesco dominates the British retail business so thoroughly that out of every $7 spent on retail in the United Kingdom, $1 is spent at its stores. Today Tesco is one of the world's top five retailers. Back in 1995, Tesco wasn't even the largest British supermarket.

The exact schedule for the launch of between 100 and 300 Tesco Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market stores is a secret so closely guarded that Tesco pretended its prototype U.S. store was a film set. Competitors who want to know what the layout will look like have to play secret agent. If they want to know how Tesco plans to win over the U.S. consumer, that's not a mystery.

Retail analysts at JP Morgan Cazenove released a detailed analysis of Tesco in 2005 concluding that "Tesco's most significant competitive …