Britain’s home-grown supermarket giant Tesco has taken on the Americans in a consumer battle of monumental proportions.

But how will Tesco succeed where other British brands have badly failed?

Tonight examines the efforts made by the world’s third-largest grocery retailer to break into a market already bursting with consumer choice. It’s a story of covert living arrangements and clandestine meetings.

For ten years the Tesco team has been eyeing up what they consider to be a golden opportunity – a hole in the American market that only they can fill. This is despite the failures of despite the failure of some other British high street brands to establish a strong foothold in the US economy.

But the campaign won’t be a walk-over. Unions are already unhappy with the company’s employment policy and promises to open shops in run-down inner-city ghettoes have yet to be honoured.

Tonight talks with Tim Mason, the man responsible for Tesco’s foray into America and the man voted most likely to succeed at the helm of the company in the future. The programme is also granted access to a top-secret prototype store, built inside a warehouse and disguised as a film lot. (Americans are so used to seeing film crews on the streets of Hollywood they ignored the blacked out windows.)

Tonight also hears details of what American families told Tesco they wanted in a new supermarket. Intimate diaries reveal details of their shopping, eating, sleeping and spending habits, all of which contributed to the new-style stores.

But what on earth can Tesco offer that the Americans don’t already have? And what makes Tesco confident of success?

Tonight presenter Ginny Buckley travels to California to find out.

Friday 8 February 2008 8:00pm - 8:30pm on ITV1.