Tesco is testing plans for sweeping changes to its food offer with a food to go area in which products are changed on shelf throughout the day in a bid to maximise sales.

The retailer opened the first new branded area in its Chester Frodsham Square store this week.

The convenience offer includes a salad and olive bar, sandwiches, ice cream and sushi, as well as a Costa Express self-serve coffee machine and Krispy Kreme doughnut stand. It also offers goods from Tesco’s in-store bakery, which this week finished a rollout to 900 stores.

“The trial is very new but we’re doing it to look at ways we can improve our offering in fresh food and also how we can target different meal opportunities,” a Tesco spokesman said.

He added the plan involved targeting customers with own-label products such as bread, croissants, yoghurts and granola at breakfast. At lunchtime these would be replaced by soups, Finest salads, freshly prepared sandwiches, sushi and pizza slices. In the evening Tesco would switch to products such as whole pizzas, chickens, ready meals and pies. Goods such as cheese and wines would be available all day.

Pyramid-shaped point of sale labelling is switched round to reflect the re-merchandising of the shelves throughout the day. It also incorporates the new green signage brought in by Tesco in a bid to make stores warmer and more appealing to customers.

The Grocer has learned other stores have already been earmarked for a wider rollout as part of Tesco’s £1bn revamp.

Angela Pasco, national account controller for Joseph Heler Cheese, which is among the own-label suppliers taking part in the trial, described the move as “exciting”, but another source said Tesco was simply “tinkering around the edges.”