The research findings provide a boost to the convenience chain, following reports it is suffering from low customer numbers and questions over its financial performance.
In a research note in March, Mike Dennis, a City analyst with Piper Jaffray, said that research among US suppliers had suggested first-half sales at Fresh & Easy could be $30m (£15m), compared with the $100m the City had expected. Dennis blamed the figure on "very weak" footfall.
Execution Research, which has no corporate relationship with Tesco, conducted interviews with nearly 700 customers in nine Fresh & Easy stores in Los Angeles in California, Las Vegas in Nevada and Phoenix, Arizona. Tesco has around 60 stores in total across the US with plans for a rapid expansion.
According to Execution Research: "Fresh & Easy is the new cult retailer. At the risk of doing the job of Tesco's public relations department, F&E is already an incredible success story."
People said Fresh & Easy was better than rival upmarket chains Trader Joe's and Whole Foods for freshness of product and gave more value for money than Wal-Mart.
The research confirmed customer numbers were low -- with the stores they were watching getting only 20-30 customers an hour -- but crucially Execution expects numbers to increase.
It estimated that the chain will have a turnover of $12bn within five years. Tesco is investing £250m a year in its expansion in the US.