Sainsbury's facts for kids

"J Sainsbury" redirects here. For the company's founder, see John James Sainsbury.

Quick facts for kids
J Sainsbury plc
Logo used since 1999
Trade name	Sainsbury's
Type	Public
Traded as	LSE: SBRY FTSE 100 Component
Industry	Retailing
Founded	1869; 156 years ago (1869) in Holborn, London, United Kingdom
Founder	John James Sainsbury
Headquarters	London, England, United Kingdom
Number of locations	1,442 shops (2024)
Area served	United Kingdom
Key people	Martin Scicluna (Chairman) Simon Roberts (CEO)
Products	Hypermarket/Superstore, supermarket, convenience shop, forecourt shop
Brands	Argos Habitat Nectar Tu
Revenue	£31.491 billion (2023)
Operating income	£972 million (2023)
Net income	£207 million (2023)
Number of employees	c. 162,000 (2023)
Subsidiaries	Sainsbury's Bank Sainsbury's Supermarkets Ltd. Sainsbury's Local

J Sainsbury plc, known as Sainsbury's, is a large supermarket chain in the United Kingdom. It is the second-biggest supermarket group in the UK. In September 2022, it held about 14.6% of all supermarket sales in the country.

Sainsbury's was started in 1869 by John James Sainsbury with a small shop in London. For most of the 1900s, it was the largest grocery seller in the UK. However, in 1995, another supermarket called Tesco became bigger. Since then, Sainsbury's has usually been the second or third largest. In 2018, Sainsbury's planned to join with Asda, another big supermarket. But the government stopped this plan because they worried it would make prices higher for shoppers.

The main company, J Sainsbury plc, has three main parts. These are Sainsbury's Supermarkets (which includes smaller convenience shops), Sainsbury's Bank, and Argos. As of 2021, a company from Qatar called the Qatar Investment Authority owns the largest part of Sainsbury's, about 15%. Sainsbury's shares are traded on the London Stock Exchange. It is also part of the FTSE 100 Index, which lists the 100 biggest companies in the UK.

History of Sainsbury's

How it Started and Grew (1869–1955)

Sainsbury's first shop in Drury Lane around 1919.

Sainsbury's began in 1869. John James Sainsbury and his wife, Mary Ann Sainsbury, opened their first shop at 173 Drury Lane in London. They started by selling fresh foods and later added packaged items like tea and sugar. John James Sainsbury's main idea was "Quality perfect, prices lower." This was even written on a sign outside his first shop.

Over time, Sainsbury's shops started to look similar. They all had a special cast-iron sign that said 'J. SAINSBURY' so people could easily spot them. They also started offering deliveries from the back of the shops. This made things easier for customers and helped avoid upsetting other local shops.

In 1922, the business officially became a private company called 'J. Sainsbury Limited'.

In 1903, Sainsbury's started selling groceries. Every shop offered home delivery because not many people owned cars back then. The company carefully chose where to open new shops. They preferred central spots in rows of shops, not corner spots. This allowed them to display more products and keep them cooler, which was important before refrigerators were common.

By 1928, when John James Sainsbury passed away, there were over 128 shops. His oldest son, John Benjamin Sainsbury, took over.

In the 1930s and 1940s, Sainsbury's kept improving its products and shop designs. They were known for being clean and convenient. In 1936, they bought a chain of shops called Thoroughgood.

The founder's grandsons, Alan Sainsbury and Sir Robert Sainsbury, became joint leaders in 1938. This happened after their father, John Benjamin Sainsbury, had a small heart attack. During the Second World War, many men who worked for Sainsbury's went to serve their country. Women took their places. The war was tough for Sainsbury's because many of its shops in London were bombed. Sales dropped by half. Food was rationed, meaning people could only buy a limited amount. One shop was so badly damaged that it had to move into a local church for a while.

Self-Service and Good Times (1956–1991)

In 1956, Alan Sainsbury became the chairman after his father passed away. In the 1950s and 1960s, Sainsbury's was one of the first in the UK to use self-service supermarkets. Alan Sainsbury visited the United States and saw how helpful self-service shops were. He believed the future was large self-service supermarkets with parking lots. The first self-service Sainsbury's opened in Croydon in 1950.

Sainsbury's was also a leader in making its own-brand products. The goal was to offer items that were as good as famous brands but cost less. They grew carefully and did not buy other companies often. They also did not offer "trading stamps," which were like loyalty points given by other shops.

The company was owned by the Sainsbury family until it became a public company on 12 July 1973. This meant anyone could buy shares in the company. It was the biggest sale of shares on the London Stock Exchange at that time. Sainsbury's wanted many people to own shares, so they made it easier for smaller bids to succeed. They even set aside shares for their staff. Many staff members bought shares, and their value quickly went up. The Sainsbury family still owned 85% of the company's shares.

Sainsbury's in Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire.

Most of the top jobs were held by family members. John Davan Sainsbury, from the fourth generation of the family, became chairman in 1969.

Sainsbury's started replacing its smaller High Street shops with bigger self-service supermarkets. These new shops were often outside of town or in new town centers. Sainsbury's focused on having well-designed shops with good quality products. Their slogan was "good food costs less at Sainsbury's." In the 1970s, the average size of Sainsbury's shops grew. The last shop where staff served customers at counters closed in 1982.

To get into the hypermarket business (very large shops selling many different things), Sainsbury's teamed up with British Home Stores to create SavaCentre. The first SavaCentre opened in 1977. These shops sold food, clothes, electronics, and hardware. Later, Sainsbury's decided a separate brand was not needed, and these shops became regular Sainsbury's supermarkets in 1999.

Sainsbury's also got into the home improvement business in 1979. They partnered with a Belgian company to open do-it-yourself shops called Homebase. Sainsbury's sold the Homebase chain in 2000. In the 1980s, the company invested in new technology. Most sales started going through electronic checkouts that scanned products.

In 1983, Sainsbury's bought a part of Shaw's Supermarkets in the United States. By 1987, Sainsbury's owned all of Shaw's.

In 1991, the company raised a lot of money to build more large supermarkets. Sainsbury's expanded into Scotland in 1992. In 1995, they announced plans to open shops in Northern Ireland, which was mostly served by local companies.

Challenges and Changes (1992–1998)

The Sainsbury's supermarket building in Greenwich.

In 1992, John Davan Sainsbury retired. His cousin, David Sainsbury, took over. This led to a different management style.

Sainsbury's made some mistakes during this time. They were slow to use loyalty cards and to sell non-food items. They also struggled to decide whether to focus on quality or low prices. This led to them losing their top spot in the UK supermarket market to Tesco in 1995.

However, some new ideas worked well, like starting Sainsbury's Bank with the Bank of Scotland.

In 1995, Sainsbury's became the first major UK grocery store to offer home delivery.

In May 1996, the company reported its first drop in profits in 22 years. David Sainsbury made changes to the management. In 1998, David Sainsbury left the company to work in politics.

New Look and Focus (1999–2003)

Sainsbury's logo, launched in 1999.

In June 1999, Sainsbury's showed off its new look. This included:

The current company logo.
New colors: "living orange" and blue.
A new font called Interstate.
A new slogan: "Making life taste better."

The slogan was changed in 2005 to "Try something new today."

In 1999, Sainsbury's bought a large share of a retail company in Egypt. However, they sold this share in 2001 because it wasn't making enough money. In 2000, Sir Peter Davis became the new CEO. He was well-liked by investors.

He spent almost £3 billion to improve shops, delivery, and computer systems. However, his successor later said that much of this money was wasted.

In 2001, Sainsbury's moved to its current main office in Holborn, London.

Sainsbury's was one of the first companies to join the Nectar loyalty card scheme in September 2002. This scheme allowed customers to earn points at Sainsbury's and other shops. Nectar replaced Sainsbury's old Reward Card.

In 2003, another supermarket, Morrisons, tried to buy Safeway. This started a bidding war. In 2004, Sainsbury's bought 14 of these shops, mostly in the Midlands and North of England.

'Making Sainsbury's Great Again' (2004–2006)

J Sainsbury HQ in Holborn in 2005.

In March 2004, Justin King became the new CEO. He had previously worked at Marks & Spencer and Asda.

In June 2004, the chairman, Peter Davis, had to leave because shareholders were unhappy about his salary and bonuses. Philip Hampton took over as chairman.

Justin King asked one million Sainsbury's customers what they wanted and how the company could improve. Customers said that shelves were often not fully stocked.

On 19 October 2004, Justin King announced his plan to fix the company, called 'Making Sainsbury's Great Again'. This plan was well-received. They planned to lay off over 750 office staff and hire about 3,000 shop staff. This was to improve service and make sure products were always available. They also cut the dividend (money paid to shareholders) in half to have more money for price cuts and quality improvements.

Justin King hired Lawrence Christensen to improve the supply chain (how products get from suppliers to shops). They reopened two distribution centers. Christensen later said that the automated depots built by the previous CEO often broke down.

In 2007, Sainsbury's invested more money to remove the old, failed automated systems from its depots. They also worked with IBM to improve their checkout systems.

Sainsbury's sold its American subsidiary, Shaw's, in 2004. They also bought more convenience shops in 2004.

After King's plan started, Sainsbury's had 19 quarters in a row of sales growth. This was due to fixing distribution problems, cutting prices, and focusing on fresh and healthy food.

Takeover Attempts (2007)

In 2007, several investment companies considered buying Sainsbury's. They made offers, but the Sainsbury family, who still owned a large part of the company, rejected them. They believed the offers were too low and that the company was worth more.

One of the family members, Lord Sainsbury of Preston Candover, refused to sell at any price. He thought any offer at that time would not value the business fairly. He also worried that high debt from a takeover would weaken the company. In April 2007, the group of investors gave up their offer.

In May 2007, Sainsbury's identified five areas for growth: selling more non-food items, opening new convenience shops, growing online delivery and banking, expanding supermarket space, and managing their properties well.

In April 2007, a Qatari investment company called Delta Two bought a 14% share in Sainsbury's. They increased their share to 25% in June 2007. Delta Two was interested in Sainsbury's property. In July 2007, Delta Two made a conditional offer to buy Sainsbury's. However, the Sainsbury family had concerns about the price and how the deal would be structured. They also worried about funding the company's pension scheme. In November 2007, Delta Two gave up its takeover bid because of problems in the financial markets.

Changes in Management and Operations

Sainsbury's in Leeds city centre.

In January 2008, Sainsbury's bought two more supermarkets in Northern Ireland, bringing their total there to eleven.

In November 2007, Sainsbury's moved its HR (Human Resources) department to Manchester. This created a central service center for HR tasks across the UK.

Growing the Business (2009–2016)

In March 2009, Sainsbury's agreed to buy 24 shops from The Co-operative Group. These were mostly Somerfield shops that The Co-operative Group had to sell. Sainsbury's bought nine more shops in June 2009. These new shops helped Sainsbury's grow in areas like West Wales, the North of England, and Scotland, where they had fewer shops.

In May 2010, Sainsbury's became a main sponsor of the 2012 Paralympic Games in London. They sold Paralympic items and were involved in events like the torch relay. After the Paralympics, Sainsbury's continued to support the British Paralympic Association.

On 30 November 2011, Sainsbury's opened its 1,000th self-service shop in Irvine, Scotland. To celebrate, they doubled their staff discount for a few days. In January 2014, Sainsbury's fully bought Sainsbury's Bank from Lloyds Banking Group.

In July 2014, the company started powering one of its shops by turning food waste into gas to make electricity. This made them the first retailer to power a shop without using the main electricity grid.

Modern Retailer and Changes (2016–Present)

In April 2016, Sainsbury's bought Home Retail Group for £1.4 billion. This deal included the catalogue shop Argos and the furniture shop Habitat. This meant the new Sainsbury's group had four main parts: food retail, general merchandise (like Argos), financial services (Sainsbury's Bank), and property investments.

In 2016 and 2017, Sainsbury's worked on its "multi-channel" plan. This meant making it easier for customers to shop in different ways. They added more "Click and Collect" points for groceries and opened a "dark store" (a warehouse for online orders) in London. They also added Argos and Habitat sections inside their supermarkets.

In November 2016, Sainsbury's announced plans to cut £500 million in costs. This led to job cuts and changes in how jobs were organized.

In February 2018, Sainsbury's bought Nectar from AIMIA for £60 million. This gave Sainsbury's full control over the Nectar loyalty program.

In March 2018, Sainsbury's said it would increase staff pay to keep good workers.

In April 2018, Sainsbury's talked with Walmart about joining with Asda. If this had happened, it could have created the largest UK supermarket company. However, the government's Competition and Markets Authority blocked the merger in April 2019, saying it would not be good for shoppers. Sainsbury's then dropped the plan.

In November 2020, Sainsbury's said up to 3,500 jobs might be lost. This was due to closing supermarket counters and more Argos shops. In March 2021, they announced more job cuts in head office and warehouses. They also closed their online fulfillment center in London. The company reported a loss in April 2021, partly due to costs from the Coronavirus pandemic. The new CEO, Simon Roberts, started a "food first strategy." The company's slogan changed in May 2021 to promote healthier eating and sustainable food.

Leaders of Sainsbury's

Year	Managing Directors
1896–1928	John James Sainsbury
1928–1938	John Benjamin Sainsbury
1938–1956	Alan Sainsbury and Robert Sainsbury (Joint leaders)
1956–1969	Robert Sainsbury
Year	Chief Executive Officers (CEOs)
1969–1992	John Davan Sainsbury
1992–1996	David Sainsbury
1996–1998	Dino Adriano (UK Shops) and David Bremner (US Shops and Homebase) (Joint CEOs)
1998–2000	Dino Adriano
2000–2004	Sir Peter Davis
2004–2014	Justin King
2014–2020	Mike Coupe
2020–Present	Simon Roberts

Year	Chairs
1956–1967	Alan Sainsbury
1967–1969	Robert Sainsbury
1969–1992	John Davan Sainsbury
1992–1998	David Sainsbury
1998–2004	George Bull
2004–2004	Sir Peter Davis
2004–2009	Philip Hampton
2009–2019	David Tyler
2019–present	Martin Scicluna

Sainsbury's Shops

In March 2019, Sainsbury's had many different types of shops:

Type of Shop	Number	Total Size		Average Size		Percentage of Space
Type of Shop	Number	(m²)	(sq ft)	(m²)	(sq ft)	Percentage of Space
Supermarkets	608	1,971,000	21,210,000	3,240	34,885	92%
Convenience shops	820	179,675	1,934,000	219	2,360	8%
Total	1,428	2,150,000	23,144,000	-	-	100%

Sainsbury's is especially strong in London and the South-East of England. It also has many shops in other UK cities. While it has grown across the country, it has fewer shops in Scotland compared to Tesco, Asda, and Morrisons.

Supermarkets

Inside a Sainsbury's shop in Gloucester Quays.

Sainsbury's supermarkets are large shops. For example, the Crayford shop in London is one of its biggest, with over 100,000 square feet of space.

Most supermarkets have similar layouts. They sell fresh produce, meat, fish, groceries, and frozen food. They have both staff-operated and self-service checkouts. Depending on their size, they might also have a bakery, a pizza counter, a cafe, or a clothing section (Tu clothing). Some even have an Argos shop inside or a petrol station. Many shops also have special sections like a beauty hall, travel agents, or a Starbucks cafe.

During the UK lockdown in March 2020 due to the coronavirus, Sainsbury's supermarkets limited how many of each food item shoppers could buy. This was to make sure everyone had access to the products they needed.

Sainsbury's Fuel

Sainsbury's also has petrol stations at some of its supermarkets. They sell diesel and petrol. Sainsbury's started operating its own petrol stations in 1980.

Sainsbury's Café

Many Sainsbury's supermarkets have self-service cafes called Sainsbury's Café. They are usually open during the same hours as the supermarket.

Sainsbury's Local Stores

A Sainsbury's Local shop in Winton, Bournemouth.

Sainsbury's Local shops are smaller, convenience stores. Sainsbury's has grown this part of its business by buying other small shop chains. In July 2013, the CEO Justin King said the company would focus on opening more convenience shops.

Sainsbury's Online

Sainsbury's also has an online shopping service called "Sainsbury's Online." Customers can order groceries and other products like electronics and books online or by phone. Sainsbury's also sells gift cards and food tokens that can be used in any Sainsbury's shop.

Sainsbury's started its online home delivery service in 1995 by selling wine online. In 1996, they teamed up with Hewlett-Packard to create a full online supermarket.

Distribution

Sainsbury's distribution centre in Waltham Point.

Sainsbury's gets its products to shops from 13 regional distribution centers (RDCs). They also have two national centers for slower-moving goods and two for frozen food.

Main Distribution Centers

Basingstoke, Hampshire
Belfast, Northern Ireland
Dartford, Kent
Emerald Park, Emerson's Green, Bristol
Greenford, London
Vauxhall, London
Hams Hall, Coleshill, West Midlands
Haydock, St Helens, Merseyside
Langlands Park, East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire
Northampton, Northamptonshire
Sherburn, North Yorkshire
Waltham Point, Essex

Other Distribution Centers

Rye Park, Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire (for slower-moving goods)
Stoke, Staffordshire (for slower-moving goods)
Tamworth, Staffordshire (for general merchandise)
Pineham, Upton, Northamptonshire (for frozen goods)
Daventry, Northamptonshire (for general merchandise)
Bedford, Bedfordshire (for clothing)
Shire Park, Worcestershire (for clothing)

Sainsbury's Other Businesses

Sainsbury's Bank

In 1997, Sainsbury's Bank was created. It was a joint business with the Bank of Scotland. Sainsbury's Bank offers services like car, home, and travel insurance, as well as loans, credit cards, and savings accounts. In 2013, Sainsbury's bought the other half of the bank from Lloyds Banking Group.

Sainsbury's Energy

Sainsbury's Energy started in 2011. It is a company that offers gas and electricity in partnership with nPower. Sainsbury's Energy is now supplied by E.On Next.

Argos

Sainsbury's bought Argos in 2016. Argos is a popular catalogue shop that started in 1972. It sells many different products, from electronics to home goods.

Past Sainsbury's Ventures

Sainsbury's has tried different types of shops and services over the years:

Sainsbury's Freezer Centres

These shops, open from 1974 to 1986, sold only frozen food. Sainsbury's later added frozen food sections to its main supermarkets, and these special freezer centers were sold.

Sainsbury's SavaCentre

SavaCentre was a chain of large hypermarkets (very big shops) that Sainsbury's ran from 1977 to 2005. They sold both food and non-food items. Eventually, these shops were changed into regular Sainsbury's supermarkets.

Sainsbury's Calais Wine Shop

Sainsbury's had a large shop in Calais, France, that sold wine and other goods. It was popular with UK customers who traveled there. The shop closed in 2010.

Sainsbury's Market

In 2002, Sainsbury's opened an experimental shop in London called 'Market'. It focused on fresh meat, fish, and bread, with staff serving customers at counters. This shop closed in 2004.

Mobile by Sainsbury's

Sainsbury's had a mobile phone network from 2001 to 2003, and again from 2013 to 2016. It closed because it was not making enough money.

Sainsbury's Pharmacy

Sainsbury's used to have pharmacies inside many of its supermarkets. In 2015, Sainsbury's sold all its pharmacies to Lloydspharmacy. In 2023, Lloydspharmacy announced that all its pharmacies inside Sainsbury's stores would close.

Product Lines

Sainsbury's has its own brands of products:

Brown sauce in the Sainsbury's core and Stamford Street ranges.

The Taste the Difference premium range.

Current Brands	What it is
by Sainsbury's	This is the main brand for Sainsbury's own food products. It has over 6,500 different items.
Be Good To Yourself	This brand offers products with fewer calories or less fat.
My Goodness!	Similar to 'Be Good To Yourself', this brand has a range of healthy foods.
Free From	Started in 2002, this brand has products for people who are allergic to dairy, wheat, or gluten. These items are usually found together in one aisle.
SO Organic	This brand includes about 500 food and drink items that are made using organic farming methods.
Taste the Difference	This is Sainsbury's premium (higher quality) own-brand. It has about 1,800 items. Other supermarkets have similar premium brands.
Old Brands	What it was
Basics	This was a budget-friendly brand with simple packaging. It was replaced by other sub-brands like "Stamford St" in late 2019.

Marketing and Branding

Shop Look

Sainsbury's has changed the look of its shops over time. The supermarket in Greenwich, South London, first tried a modern "Sainsbury's" style. This led to the term 'Greenwich Blue' for the main color of the new design. Many shops were updated with dark blue walls, bright orange panels, and grey shelves. The 'Greenwich Blue' look has now been updated to a fresher style.

Nectar Loyalty Card

Sainsbury's was a founding member of the UK's largest loyalty program, 'Nectar', in 2002. Customers earn points on almost everything they buy at Sainsbury's and other shops. These points can then be used for rewards. For every pound spent, customers earn 1 point.

In 2018, Sainsbury's bought the Nectar loyalty program. This gave them full control over it.

Sainsbury's Active Kids

A Sainsbury's Active Kids banner outside a school.

Until 2017, Sainsbury's ran a yearly program called Active Kids. Customers collected vouchers from their shopping and gave them to local schools or groups. These groups could then use the vouchers to get sports equipment and other items from a catalogue.

Brand Ambassadors

2000–2011: Jamie Oliver, a famous chef, was the public face of Sainsbury's. He appeared in TV and radio ads and in shops.
2010–2017: Paralympic swimmer Ellie Simmonds was an ambassador for Sainsbury's Active Kids.
2012–2014: Former footballer David Beckham was also an ambassador for Sainsbury's Active Kids.

Slogans

Sainsbury's has used many slogans:

"Quality perfect, Prices Lower" – Used in 1882.
"Good Food Costs Less At Sainsbury's" – Used from the 1960s to the 1990s. This is one of the most famous advertising slogans in retail.
"Making Life Taste Better" – Used from 1999 to 2005.
"Try something new today" – Used from 2005 to 2011.
"Live Well For Less" – Used from 2011 to 2021.
"Christmas is for Sharing" – Used for Sainsbury's Christmas adverts since 2013.
"Helping Everyone Eat Better" – Introduced in 2021. This slogan connects to Sainsbury's partnership with the 2021 UN Climate Change Conference (COP26).
"Good food for all of us" – Launched in November 2023.

Sainsbury's was a sponsor of the Paralympic Summer Games in London 2012. This was the biggest sponsorship deal in the history of the Games.

Street Name

When Sainsbury's opened a new supermarket in Kingston upon Thames, a new road leading to it was named "Sury Basin." This is a play on the word "Surrey" (the historic county) and is also an anagram of "Sainsbury."

Staffing

In 2010, Sainsbury's opened seven food colleges. These colleges teach staff skills like fishmongery, butchery, and breadmaking. Many staff members have received special qualifications through this training.

'Our Sainsbury's' is a website for staff. They can use it to find out about staff benefits and connect with other colleagues.

Employee Relations

Great Place to Work Group

Each Sainsbury's shop has a group of staff members who meet monthly. They discuss working life in their shop and the company. They can also organize charity events and give feedback to the Store Manager. This group has a budget for local charities and for improving staff facilities.

Sainsbury's Staff Association

The Sainsbury's Staff Association was started in 1947. It is run by Sainsbury's staff. Staff can join for a small fee. The money collected is used for social events and experiences for staff. Members also get extra discounts at other shops.

Sainsbury's Veterans Association

This association was started in 1947 to help staff stay in touch after they retired. Today, members get benefits like discounts, newsletters, and invitations to yearly reunions. To join, staff must have worked for the company for 25 years before retiring.

Ownership

As of February 2023, the main owners of Sainsbury's shares were:

Qatar Investment Authority (QIA): 14.3% of shares.
Vesa Equity Investment (owned by Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky): 10% of shares.
Costcutter owner Bestway: 4.47% of shares.