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IKUGUST/SEPTEMBER 1995

J SAINSBURY Savacentre H#SVIIEIli\SIE SPH/''33T/4'^A-=?

ypermarkets and cyberspace With only ten hypermarkets in the country, the opening of an eleventh is very big news. Savacenti certainly made a splash when they opened number eleven in Sydenham. Spiderman was just one of the cartoon characters whose presence added colour to the celebrations; meet some of the others on page 8. Sainsbury's is building on its reputation for being forward thinking in the use of technology by being one of the first retailers to occupy cyberspace, communicating and selling through the Internet. We get wired on pp 12/13 and also look at what's happening elsewhere with the SPIDERMAN, SPIDERMAN CLIMBS THE WALLS OF SYDENHAM. company's latest hardware and software. • OPENING STORY P.8

HEADLINES 2-5

WRITELINES 6/7&21

IITH SAVACENTRE OPENS 8/9

WOLVERHAMPTON HOMEBASE OPENING 9 JS Journal Photographic Competition ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 10/11

TALKING TECHNOLOGY 12/13 Nick will be the judge

GROUP FISHING DAY 14 If you have just returned from your summer holidays, don't put the PROFIT SHARING camera away. It's open season for the JS Journal photographic EXPLAINED 15 competition so get out there and hunt down some glorious shots. CHECK THIS OUT 16/17 There are cash prizes up to £150 and free films. Everyone who enters will receive a JS Journal pen keyring and we will also be picking a STORES AT LARGE 18 number of entrants at random to receive free disposable cameras. SSA OFFERS 19 We have tracked down an important figure in the photographic world to judge your entries - Nick Hall, picture editor of The Observer Life LOVE INTEREST AND Magazine. Nick is looking forward to seeing your entries, so get COMPETITION 20 shooting! NEW LINES 22/23 Our three categories are: Friendship, My Town and Celebration. You may interpret them as you please. All photographs may be black PEOPLE 23 and white or colour. Closing date for the competition is October 27. ARCHIVES 24 For further details, call 0171 921 6486. Marques of good taste Several own brand products have scooped prestigious accolades. JS products took two of the top beers and brands like Heineken in honours in the 13 categories of the a BBC survey. The consumer MANAGING EDITOR SuperMarketing Quality Awards. programme Value For Money BRIDGET WILLIAMS Dry Cure Bacon was praised for its asked a panel of regular drinkers to DEPUTY EDITOR 'return to the forgotten flavour of compare six canned beers and ANDY SZEBENI traditional bacon' and the product Blue Riband was the 'lager-top'. EDITORIAL ASSISTANT went on to win the best overall ABBIE BOULTON entry in a subsequent Family Discerning Retail Circle tasting. The judges, Training Scheme staff including world-renowned chefs, from the Leicester stores recently also chose as the winner of the conducted their own blind tasting, EDITORIAL SERVICES BY Accompaniments and Ingredients proving conclusively that the JS RED EDIT section chilled Italian Angel Hair brand cannot be beaten. They DESIGN HELEN JONES Spaghetti, which they recognised compared a number of products including Frozen Strawberry PRINTING as 'the genuine article'. Irish GREENSHIRES PRINT LTD Cream Liqueur was a runner up in Cheesecake and Honey Roast the sweet snacks section of the Lamb with other supermarkets' trade magazine's contest. own brand and were pleasantly JS JOURNAL surprised to find JS objectively the J SAINSBURY PLC STAMFORD HOUSE JS Blue Riband lager best in every category. STAMFORD STREET LONDON SEl 9LL stood frothy head and

TEL: 0171-921 7033 shoulders above other own-brand

OASIS I.D.: 'JS. JOURNAL'

JS JOURNAL Milk marketing BTfWnB H billboard Chairman honoured by University Loughborough University vice chancelior David Wailace confers an honorary degree upon David Sainsbury.

Tony Suilivan, dairy senior manager, outside Cromwell Road store in London where a giant mechanical carton on a hoarding was used to promote the new Tetratop milk cartons. A motor opened and closed the lid of the model but Tony was unable to find a bowl of cereal big enough to accommodate its contents! The new packaging is designed to be easier to open and pour than the traditional cardboard carton with wings.

Schools' equipment in the bag ^ Chairman David Sainsbury At the degree cere­ Customers can now choose between benefiting a local was recognised for his mony, the University's charity or their local school when they re-use their 'outstanding contributions public orator said of carrier bags. to retailing' and 'disting­ Sainsbury's: 'There cannot From September 10, Each school that signs uished leadership in be a student or, for that customers will be offered up for the scheme receives and hardware for compu­ business' when he was matter, anyone in Lough­ the choice between a penny 100 vouchers to get them ters and much more. awarded an Honorary borough, who has found or Schoolbags voucher for started, then customers Customers that do not Doctorate of Technology at shopping at Sainsbury's every re-used carrier. The give them the vouchers to have a school in mind can Loughborough University not only bearable, but scheme was launched to put in the special give the vouchers to a local of Technology on July 7. pleasurable.' schools on August 21 and Schoolbags bin. The special needs school customers can start vouchers can be redeemed nominated by the store. collecting from September against any of hundreds of Degrees of success 10. items a school might need from the special catalogue. This includes camcorders (15,000 vouchers each), junior microscopes (1,460 vouchers), art equipment, sports equipment, software

Chairman David Sainsbury witli tlie graduates at the Victoria and Aibert Hotei. The first graduates of the Sainsbury's sponsored Manchester Metropolitan University BA Honours Degree in Retail Marketing were congratulated by chairman David Sainsbury on July 31. They came together at the study towards the different Victoria and Albert Hotel levels. in Manchester as a Comments director of culmination of the five retail personnel Nigel SainsH"X year course. There are now Broome, 'The graduates 155 staff from across the now have a much favovii-^te •^^ Group on the course, enhanced knowledge of ingredient- which requires no prior retailing as well as a wider specific academic qualifi­ perspective of the business cation. Students need to world - the company is have passed the trainee extremely proud of their manager scheme and then achievement.' continue working as they

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 1995 3 wffwnB Oldbury joins the new style set Feel me, touch The two Barbaras (Abbey on the left and Floyd on the right) hold the me, sell me... ribbon for Savacentre chairman David Produce managers from around the country have been Quarmby (left) and learning all about their industry in a pilot course store director Alan Birbeck. modelled on the meat and fish certificate courses featured in previous issues.

The courses include visits exciting new phase of to see how depots handle produce development - this produce, tours of fruit and course will be the founda­ veg suppliers and seminar tion of future skills and sessions led by representa­ knowledge for staff, that tives from the Ministry of will ensure our world class Agriculture, Fisheries and status in the field of Food. Explains chief produce.' technologist of primary The course should be agricultural products Bob rolled out to all key Hilbom, 'The objective is produce managers before to have highly qualified the end of the year. Also, a David Quarmby was and motivated produce new multimedia package accompanied by a 20 foot managers and get more (see page 13 for the low- high inflatable elephant as Bound to succeed tradesmanship into the down on multimedia in JS) he declared the refurbished branches.' Departmental Ripley store have been awarded a £500 incentive prize will support what they store open. New to the director Ian Merton puts for coming up witli a brilliant new product now selling learn and help to train other store are re-modelled this in a wider context, in all stores. produce staff. delicatessen and bakery 'We are entering an departments plus hot pie, flan and cake shops, as A MAFF representative explains qualit well as the bold new standards to produce managen graphics becoming ever familiar around the company's stores. Hampden Park goes dotto Hampden Park, under a sponsorship deal with Eastbourne Borough Council, has a mobile The Ripley Action Team with the result of their idea and hard work. advertisement in the form of the Eastbourne DOTTO An Action Team at the supplier to make them. Trains, which transport store came up with the After 1,000 were sold in tourists and local residents idea to sell binders for the one and a half weeks, the to attractions along the sea colourful recipe leaflets. company took on the idea. front. Staff boarded the With only £1,000, a Now over one quarter of a train for a photo call for modified magazine rack to million Everyone's Fav­ local press in June. Sadly, display, and the goal of ourite Ingredient binders the train arrived back at selling them for less than a adorn JS shoppers' the store, not at the beach! pound, they found a local kitchens. Buyer Jane Wakeling lat lias Jive digits, sheds is very impressed with the store's marketing success, ;oituts and will 'They made it happen and we've even made a small "revolutionise personnef profit. This £500 is our way of thanking them.' •management in JS? The store will spend the money on plaques for the i staff that came up with the idea and a bigger feast for See the October is«" their store opening anniversary party.

JSJOURNAL Ipswich has it covered Ipswich customers have found a solution to the age-old town centre store problem of how to get those heavy carrier bags from the checkout to the car. A new service allows customers to leave their shopping at the store and collect it later. With the nearest car parlc some 200 yards away, this is proving Representatives of the Group's project team, the National Rivers Association and the recycling company. very popular. We highlighted the dangers of oil pollution in a Says store manager previous article (JS Journal, plO, April 1995), now Kevin Nutt, 'It malces it Christmas comes but Merton Savacentre are doing something about it. much easier for customers who come into town, Two oil collection units pleased to be working with particularly at the three times a year were installed in July in Merton Council and are weekend for clothes the forecourt of the petrol keen to encourage resi­ shopping. They can now" station. Motorists can pour dents to think of the pop into JS for their food their used oil into these environment when dispos­ as well.' where they will be stored ing of used engine oil.' Customers' purchases until the contents are Each year DIY oil are placed in a covered collected by a company changes result in 45,000 trolley and wheeled into which recycles the dirty tonnes of used oil, much of an allocated area of one of oil to produce other which is poured down the the store's chillers where lubricants and fuel oil. drains, polluting British frozen foods are put into Says then store director rivers. coolbags to await the Richard Scholes, 'We are customer's return. When the goods are collected, the customer parks at the rear of the store and uses the phone provided to summon his or her purchases, which are repacked into ordinary Special Selection buyer carrier bags and carried to Bridgette Hardy with buying director Robin Whitbread. the car by staff. Sixty nine journalists from women's consumer media enjoyed Christmas in July. It may be an odd notion but magazines in particular work months ahead of themselves. To ensure * Sainsbury's Christmas lines get the publicity they deserve, it's a case of get in early. aiSW Eighteen stands dis­ Woking staff, I to r: Lilian Boyle, Doreen Waterman and Sian Donovan with the new cards. played a variety of JS, Homebase and Savacentre goods from food, sweets, Kevin Nutt, — ^"'^ wrapping paper and Discount card D-day Ipswich store Christmas trees, to JS stores in Woking, June JS Journal how the not part of the Sainsbury's manager, decorations, ribbon and Brookwood and Basing­ card will replace the Group so the card cannot demonstrates tlie use of the talking Santas. stoke; Woking Homebase current vouchers. We now be used there. Texas staff A follow-up Christmas and Calcot Savacentre, know that we will be able in the Group will have telephone point^^SSl . V|^ fare is being planned for began putting the card to use it in JS, Homebase, their discount cards by the October. through its paces for the Savacentre and Texas end of the year, when the first time on August 14. stores in mainland Britain. computer system is We outlined in the Texas stores in Ireland are extended to include them.

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 1995 HALF BAKED been issuing products free of IDEAS charge to the general public Sandra Hunt, customer, Hornchurch: and staff to sample, for feedback on the products in I am a full-time student at the Havering College of June Wilson, meat question. Early indications Further and Higher Education. In September 1994 I replenishment assistant, reveal a much improved level Oldham of satisfaction. started along with eleven other mature students, the My colleagues and I are Thank you for taking the first year of a two year BTEC Modular Foundation taking this opportunity to trouble to bring this matter to Course, which has introduced us to different bring to your attention a my attention. You can be recent change in the assured that this issue had techniques of study and craft skills. provision of fresh bread already been raised and action One of the modules was called A Sense of that is causing a significant was being taken. The benefits loss of custom. of developing a range like pre­ Place. Over the years, along with many other Since the introduction formed bread are immense, people, I have spent many hours shopping In Sains­ of the part-baked product but only if this can be achieved line, and closure of the in- while maintaining customer bury's. We've been transformed! Hence the model. store baking facility, there satisfaction. The structure of The Sainsbury Lady is has been a marked rise in customer complaints about made of wood and chicken wire held together using our bread products which is ABLE LABELS bits of wire and staples. Strips of newspaper soaked echoed by our own experi­ ence as consumers of Fran Skinner, secretary, in wallpaper paste were placed over the chicken Sainsbury bread. The main Coldhams Lane wire to make a base for the final covering, which issue is a difference in Whilst understanding all the freshness at the time of reasons behind the market­ consisted of recipe cards and leaflets which were purchase - less fresh with ing strategy, and supporting the part-bake - and also the any moves that drive the fact that it becomes stale business forward and more quickly. encourage custom, I do across to a large number of Not only has the think that the Here to Help people and were designed to Mrs D SInstadt, product deteriorated, but slogan could have been act as a memory jogger. We customer, Plymouth the loss of operation of the incorporated into our name could not incorporate features £99 bakery has removed the badges. along the lines you suggest in Marsh Mills: aroma of freshly baked Also, the small plastic the time available. For the Last week I needed to buy bread from the store. We Ingredients for Success future, I can assure you that believe that this is not only cards could be put to more comments such as yours are a quantity of dairy-free extremely pleasant, but also advantageous use as a staff being considered. foods because my grand­ contributes subtly to the identity card to include staff ambience of the store, discount and the slogan. son, who has a total allergy making the shopping experi­ If we have got to be MILLENIUM MAYHEM? to all dairy substances, was ence that much better in covered in badges let's make Sainsbury's. Our customers them useful, especially if we Nigel Collins, coming to visit me. have remarked to us about have also to wear STAR replenishment assistant. My daughter sent me a the change whilst making badges and Helping Hands, East Prescot Road positive comments about which are a lovely design Will our computer system list of foods she buys for the bakery operations of but leave one feeling as if we be able to cope with the him in Essex. As the task our local supermarket are wearing medals! change of century, ie 1999 competitors. to 2000? seemed a bit daunting, I Trefor Hales, director Apparently, many comp­ asked for help from the Graham Naylor, retail operations, replies: uters, instead of going to regional director, / agree with your suggestion of 2000 could go to 1900. This customer services Northern area, replies: incorporating the Here to Help has something to do with department. T*9 Many thanks for your letter. slogan on staff name badges many computers using only My purpose in writing is As you have rightly pointed and we have been working on two digits for the year, ie 95 out, the introduction of pre­ this idea. The large circular for 1995, so computers to commend them to you formed bread at Oldham has badges you have been wearing would go to year 00. and ask that you thank the not gone without its problems. have been very helpful in Only last week, represent­ bringing our new marketing Chris Montagnon, staff on my behalf. atives from Coo/core (supply­ strategy to everyone's atten­ departmental director, In particular, I would ing bakery) head office and tion. However, by the autumn, ISD, replies: area representatives were in- we should be able to introduce You are right The year 2000 mention Sue Sullivan, store to review production new name badges which will will be a major problem for all who could not have been methods, staff training and incorporate the Here to Help computer systems. Most of customer reaction. This action message. Regrettably, Ms may the difficulties arise because in more pleasant nor more has been taken to ensure that necessitate the re-entering of the use of 'date routines' helpful. She turned a we provide our customers with all name badge information at arithmetic is performed on the excellent products in keeping each store which will take last two digits of the year. A dreaded shopping task into with the JS traditions of time, but we are looking to group has been formed within a pleasure. quality. reduce the work involved. ISD to co-ordinate a review of Having spoken to Mr The new name badges will every program and system to You are lucky to have identify where the date is used Chason, branch manager, he be in the company's colours staff of her calibre. confirms that the quality of and I hope you'll agree they and to make the necessary product received from the look better. changes. We have to examine manufacturing plant has We have also been not only software developed improved considerably and we looking into the use of plastic by ourselves, but also that are confident that given the cards for a variety of purposes specialist software we use to efforts being made in-store, such as the ones you mention, run the computers. We are the high quality that can be and staff discount cards are starting now and know we produced from this range will shortly to be introduced. have to finish by December be available to customers at However, the Seven Service 31 1999! Oldham. It is always important Essentials cards were intro­ that we listen to our custo­ duced to get a consistent mers and as such we have customer service message

JSJOURNAL TOO SHORT A LIFE? to offer the customer a fuller range throughout the Darren Sinclair, fresh week without the losses we foods manager, used to incur. Nantwich On produce, for example, On recent visits to our we have to bring melons competitors, including M&S, into the store over a week torn up and stuck on the nnodel to make the coat, I have noticed that the life before an instore demon­ shoes and stockings. The blonde hair was a yellow on their fresh foods is stration so that they will be longer than ours. This in ripe enough for customers polystyrene tray and the scarf was knitted using Itself Is not a good enough to taste. Yet, If they were about six Sainsbury's shopping bags cut into reason to review the life of out on display, they would products but maybe we are be out of code. continuous strips. The features of the face consist of being over-harsh with our I know that a great deal till receipts over moulded Plasticine, The tile-effect life coding. of work goes into prod­ I understand that our ucing life for products base was covered with coupons and the mosaic company prides itself on Its through buyers, suppliers pattern was from the fish recipe leaflets. The good reputation and the and food technologists, yet I quality of its products and I still feel with the examples I ^ shopping bags were cut down to model size and would never want to have given, that we could Y ' 4^/*^^ the contents are Sainsbury's own products compromise that in any way. perhaps look at certain In a recent change to the products without affecting VV iKJFR h '"^'"''•"S the French stick which had to be company's service dell ready any of Its quality and scaled down to size by removing the soft meals, the life has been freshness. bread from inside. reviewed and extended by two days. This has had a Geoff Spriegel, I thoroughly enjoyed making the model, brilliant effect on our ability departmental director, it kept the other students and my family scientific services The shelf life of perishable highly amused. It certainly is a Wendy South- foods assigned by Sainsbur/'s conversation piece. is an expert judgement which combe, night shift, considers microbiological safety, product quality, the Christchurch commercial realities of During a recent visit to distributing and selling the product and the way the Mrs FE Woodard, the Bridges of Madison product will be stored and customer, Harlow County in Iowa, we found used by the customer. Product safety and quality is Yesterday morning as I the following message obviously of paramount parked my car prior to pinned on Roseman importance and even seem­ ingly minor extensions to shelf shopping, a very observant Bridge: To Robert Kincaive. life must be thoroughly shopper told me I had a flat If you'd like supper again researched before implement­ ation. The shelf life assigned tyre. So I shopped, then when white moths are on to all products is under drove into your petrol the wing, shop at Sainsbury's constant review and the scientific services division are garage, where I received the and come by tonight after employing the latest computer greatest of help, thanks to you're finished, Francesco:' techniques to determine where shelf lives can be safely your staff. Interesting. increased. We have been A young man employed able to increase shelf lives on some lines and will do so there (I found out his name again if we are satisfied that was David Ricketts) gave this can be achieved safely. me super attention, changed With melons, it is notoriously difficult to deter­ the wheel and so sent me on mine the maturity level purely my way 100% safe! on external appearance and, un//ke other fruits like Thank you for such nectarines and avocados, they service. do not ripen further after hardest ie the sugar levels will not improve and the fruit will Estelle Gee, customer, only become softer. With reference to the latter, I Haverhili acknowledge some customers I was a dedicated Tesco may like the fruit a littie less crisp. shopper. Over the past six Your reference to product months I began to notice being out of code can be valid, rather large price increases. but in the majority of shelf life tests carried out the current My father and I decided to shelf life appears correct to give Sainsbury's a try. Nice maintain good internal quality, always remembering that the shop, lower prices, better Eileen Beweley, personnel manager, Durham/Whitley Bay customer also requires an selection and extremely adequate shelf life. We are In Chateau D'Oex in Switzerland they are currently building a new continually reviewing the helpful staff. Congratulations! position on shelf life with our Co-op. The temporary building is this tent structure. If you look buyers and also reviewing new varieties which will ensure closely you can see water spraying over it to keep it cool. It was 30 more consistent sugar levels for our customers. degrees in the shade while I was there. Perhaps this is the way forward for future JS refits. continued on pg.21

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 1995 HYPERMARKET

SYDENHAM

Opening date: August 15, 1995

Address: Perry Hill, Bell Green, Sydenham, London

Opened by: Savacentre chairman David Quarmby

Store director: Jon Hartland

Project manager: Chris Isherwood

Staff: 1,077 (800 new jobs)

Saies area: 85,000 sq ft

Car park: 1,000 spaces

Huge queues of eager customers heralded the opening of the company's eleventh hypermarket. Dinosaurs, Thunderbirds characters, the Flintstones, Spiderman, a Savacentre-sponsored children's steel band and a jazz band all raised the tempo for customers waiting in the bright summer morning. As the first customers surged through, the first 300 picking up their free bouquets, the 45 checkouts stood ready. David Quarmby took a breather outside the store from the frantic activity, and the Journal asked him about the opening: 'The Savacentre style suits this razzmatazz. Today is the culmination of such a lot of work-it really is something to celebrate. The staff and development team deserve it and the customers clearly love it!' The striking design of the new store houses a host of innovations for Savacentre including fresh doughnuts, enlarged cookshop and improved clothing sections. Proof that this, like all Savacentres, is much more than just a food store, is the inclusion of a chemist, Post Office, travel agent, dry cleaners and many more concessions. The roof will soon be emblazoned with the store name for the benefit of Heathrow-bound jets.

8 JS JOURNAL HOMEBASE

WOLVERHAMPTON

Opening date: July 21, 1995

Address: St John's Place Retail Park, Wolverhampton, West Midlands

Opened by: Homebase chairman Dino Adriano

Far left: Gloria Robinson's aunt was visiting from Trinidad when they heard of the Savacentre opening. Not only were they impressed with the shop but they remarked to the Journal how good were the steel band. The band from local Haseltine School is sponsored by the store.

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 1995 9 Our business Annual General Meeting

Unlike M&S, Sainsbury's attracted no bikini-clad models or blow-up plastic whales to its Annual General Meeting. Almost 500 shareholders gathered on July 5 to meet the directors, peruse product displays and vote on the business of the day. The company's 21st AGM was held in its now accustomed venue, the QEII Conference Centre in Westminster. Before the meeting proper, shareholders discussed with directors from all parts of the Group, topics of current interest, including the company's policies on store development, community investment, employment and environmental issues. FUTURE

Last year's results Consolidating our position Chairman David Sainsbury began his address by The Chairman drew shareholders' attention to the strengths of the core supermarket business, the summarising the achievements of the last pre-eminent food retailing company in the United Kingdom: 'We have the most loyal customers, financial year. Despite low inflation and intense the highest intensity of sales, and the highest net operating margin of any British food retailer. We competition, the company's 125th year had are determined to reinforce our pre-eminent position.. .by excelling in the value for money of our witnessed Group sales growth of 7.5% and an products, by continuously improving our customer service, and by securing profitable opportunities increase in Group profit before exceptional for growth.' items and tax of 10.5%. The dividend per share had been raised to 11.7p. The Sainsbury Current trade Opportunities for growth supermarket business increased its operating Commenting on current trade, the chairman The effect of the tightening in planning profit by 12.5% to £784 million. Savacentre, stated that since the year end, like-for-like sales restrictions on new store numbers will be Homebase and Shaw's all had an excellent year, growth has averaged 2%, with this figure set to offset by a large increase in extensions, and increasing their combined operating profit to rise as current and future marketing initiatives take fewer store closures. In addition, the £112 million. effect. Total sales growth has averaged 6.5% since company's proposed expansion into the year end. Marketing expenditure in the first Northern Ireland will involve the investment half of this year will be significantly heavier than of approximately £100 million in the that for the first half of last year. Sales development of seven stores throughout the performance since the year end at Savacentre, Province. However, the chairman Homebase and Shaw's has been similar to last year, emphasised that 'we are not in the business with Homebase, in particular, showing buoyant of buying market share, and our other retail like-for-like sales growth of almost 5%. businesses, Savacentre, Homebase and Shaw's, provide alternative investment More value possibilities which are lacking to our The Essentials programme, launched 18 months ago, led to price cuts throughout the industry. competitors.. .During the 1980s these businesses grew relatively slowly because our Discount food retailers can no longer undercut JS's prices without 'severely impacting their main focus was on expanding the Sainsbury profitability'. The value offered by JS has been enhanced through the addition of 1,200 new Sainsbury supermarket chain. We are now expanding brand lines, increasing the company's lead in quality. The extension of the Savercard discount these businesses more rapidly and their scheme provides another example of JS's policy of offering the best value for money in the profitability is growing strongly.' marketplace.

Customer service The chairman outlined the improvements made to customer service, currently being publicised through the Everyone's Favourite Ingredient campaign. 'Increasingly, customer service will be a key to competitive success, and I am confident that with these new initiatives and the enthusiastic response of our staff, we will provide our customers with the best service they can get.'

Subsidiaries Homiebase's performance has consistently exceeded that of its rivals. Its management has also moved rapidly to improve the performance of Texas. Texas's sales, which were already running below the previous year's, worsened during the period of the Office of Fair Trading review. Now, discontinued and surplus stock is being cleared out, product availability has improved, and the Homebase Spend & Save card has been introduced into all Texas stores. Although Texas is expected to make a loss in the first half of the financial year, improved performance in the second half is likely to lead to a small operating profit overall. The chairman drew attention to Savacentre's exciting new format, and its new store opening programme which is healthier than ever before. The improved performance of Shaw's over the last two years has been particularly notable, with growth in profit for the last financial year of 34%. This year, the company has embarked upon a major expansion programme with the opening of eight new stores.

ALL THANKS TO STAFF our staff are shareholders in the company, and in the last The chairman concluded his address by paying tribute to the three years we have allocated £175 million to our employee hard work of JS staff: 'They have contributed many ideas both profit sharing schemes. It is a cause of great personal to our cost improvement programme and our customer service satisfaction to me that so many of our staff are shareholders campaign. They have acquired new skills and shown their and are able to participate in the continuing prosperity of willingness to take on new responsibilities. Over 40,000 of the business.'

10 JS JOURNAL EQUAL There are now two female employment opportunities while repairs are going on.' Chairman David Sainsbury with a OPPORTUNITIES departmental directors (six for people vrith disabilities, Other subjects raised shareholder. One shareholder wanted to years ago there were none); including current employees included the detoxification know when more women 13 female senior managers who become disabled, and of the land on which the This year, for the first managers would be (there were five in 1989); has been awarded the new Sydenham Savacentre is time, a complete breakdown appointed and also when ten female store managers Department for Education built, and a request for of each director's salary is there would be more (compared with three in and Employment's 'Positive more recycling facilities to specified in detail in the directors and managers from 1989) and 102 deputies about Disabled People' accommodate the new annual accounts, including ethnic minorities. (there were S6 in 1989). symbol. plastic milk containers. basic remuneration, Although Lady Eccles, one The company is keen to performance-related bonus, of JS's two women board have more people from ENVIRONMENTAL DIRECTORS' profit-sharing, benefits and directors, was retiring, the ethnic minorities in manage­ Praise was accorded to JS SALARIES pension. Directors' salaries company has made consider­ ment positions and is doing for its fridge control systems By comparison with direc­ are set by the Remimeration able progress in its efforts to everything possible to by a shareholder who tors of other companies, JS Nomination Committee. This encourage women to take encourage this. It is also remarked that 'we don't directors' pay is acknow­ comprises the chairman and up management positions. committed to improving now see empty fridges ledged to be very modest. non-executive directors, who review directors' salaries on behalf of shareholders and The Rt Hon Sir Timothy Sainsbury was ensure that proper standards previously a director of the company are maintained. from 1962-1983, and retired from the board on his appointment as a government minister. Sir Timothy, SHARE SCHEMES TWO NEW NON-EXECUTIVE who, like the chairman, is a great- JS veteran Tim Day asked grandson of the founders, recently DIRECTORS WERE APPOIN­ ceased to be a government minister whether the company has any after a distinguished career, latterly as plans to abandon its execu­ TED AT THE MEETING. Minister of State for Trade and Industry. He has announced his tive share schemes in the intention to retire as an MP at the next light of adverse publicity election. His re-appointment to the about other companies' board was warmly welcomed by shareholders. ^^<.^v schemes, and considering that JS's share price had not risen sufficiently to benefit the The chairman expressed his pleasure at The chairman's tribute to Angus Clark, recipients. The chairman having secured the services of Clive who retired in April, was greeted with Thompson, chief executive of Rentokll warm applause. 'He has made', said promised that the company Group PLC as a non-executive director. David Sainsbury, 'an exceptional would be looking at whether Under his leadership, Rentokil has contribution to the company's the schemes could be become a leading international service development in distribution, personnel company and was recently voted BOARD improved in the light of the and information systems over a period Greenbury Report. 'Britain's most admired company'. of great change and growth. He MOVES leaves with our deepest appreciation and gratitude, and our congratulations AND ANOTHER on the award of a CBE in the recent THING Birthday Honours.' Other questions included a request to be able to use the new Savercard on Wine Lady Eccles, who served as a non­ Direct purchases and for it to executive director for nine years, be usable in all JS stores, retired at the AGM. On behalf of shareholders, the chairman thanked rather than the single branch her for the 'wise and valued' named on the card. (Since contribution which she had made over the AGM it has become the years. y-^ possible for Savercards to be used in all participating stores). Another suggestion was that the interim and final dividend payments should be evenly split, rather than the current 30%:70% split.

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 1995 11 The Journal scanned the systems, surfed Information at the speed of light the Internet and studied As computers become more powerful, and more information is flowing around the company, the links between the soundtrack to bring terminals, and between terminals and mainframe, are straining with the load. One of the less visible but more important improvements in technology is the new £25m fibre optic corporate network. Computers in stores and you the latest tech­ offices are currently linked to each other and the mainframe via copper wires. In July, Camden became the first nology developments store to be linked to the network via fibre optics. By the middle of next year all stores will be connected by the fine glass cables which can carry information 80 times faster than before. Andrew Yates told the Journal, 'Sabre set for the Group. the demise of the old network since the software was designed with the limitations of speed in mind. With further software improvements the new network will even be able to carry video images direct to stores.'

Webbed feat

Simply take ... a pc, a modem and a subscription to an The popular image of the Internet user as an 'anorak' Internet service provider, and you can buy JS wine in - a coffee-swigging young male hacker hunched late into BarclaySquare! the night over his keyboard - is incorrect, according to a In February, JS boldly went where no food retailer recent NOP survey. In fact, some 38% of Internet users are had gone before, by establishing a presence on the over 35, and a third are women. Perhaps less surprisingly, Internet as part of a project carried out by the JS technical they tend to be fairly prosperous and to read a certain pink infrastructure (Tl) department. The initial offering consisted newspaper - over 20% of Financial Times readers use the of several pages of illustrations and text, packed with such Internet. useful information about the company as branch However, it would be wrong to think of the Internet addresses, financial details, recent press releases and JS as exclusive. Katharine St John-Brooks, senior manager. history. It proved extremely successful. 'We've been well Consumer Direct, who chairs the group set up to manage chuffed' says Tl's Paul Jennings, technical consultant who JS's Internet site, says: 'We're very excited about this new was involved with the development work, 'with the street communication medium, and particularly about the rate at cred that our initial experiment brought us - we've had which it is catching on. In just one month, 20,000 people several companies requesting permission to reproduce accessed the JS home page - the introduction and 'index'. our Internet pages in magazines and brochures to show Our Internet offering puts us at the forefront of shopping how it should be done.' technology, and we have lots of plans for expanding our It isn't just the technically-minded who've been offer. Watch this (Cyber)space!' impressed. The addition of the Wine Direct home delivery sen/ice made JS the first UK food retailer to offer goods for r sale on the Net and brought JS a great deal of positive I How to get connected publicity. Martin Wright, Tl senior manager, comments 'We're very proud to be leaders in the application of this I All you need to access the Web is a personal computer new technology and, of course, with the reception it has J (minimum 386 processor); Window environment; a World received.' J Wide Web Internet browser; a modem with a minimum Armchair wine buffs can choose from a current I capacity of 14.4K bits per second and a subscription to on range of some 40 wines, and an exciting new autumn f Internet service provider. With that little lot, you con use the selection was being finalised as the Journal went to press. ; Web to wander into university libraries all over the world, The Web, as aficionados call it, is a part of the I explore virtual vineyards and even admire the pictures in the Internet that can display graphics and pictures, in contrast I Louvre. to the rather dull all-text pages of other parts of the Net. This makes it particularly suitable for home shopping. The I JS's Internet address is http://www.j-sainsbury.co.uk. JS offering, for example, includes pictures of wines and ' BarclaySquare, the UK's first virtual shopping mall, offers maps of their places of origin. Users may jump between access to Wine Direct, as well as to other retailers including different pages and related subject areas in order to Toys R Us, Argos and Blackwell's bookshop. If that's not investigate them more deeply. , sufficient, you can book a ticket on Eurostar for a spot of reol- The range of information offered on JS's Internet site 5 life cross-channel shopping! is growing all the time. Recent additions include a map giving a guide to facilities at each JS store, ISD job i If you have access to the Web, the JS Internet group would advertisements and the Annual Review. An electronic ; like to hear from you via the feedback option within the JS recipe book has proved particularly popular, with over • pages. How user-friendly do you find the JS web offering? 6,500 users a week, from as far afield as Japan and South j Which pages do you use most? What other information or America, surfing for recipes such as Lobster Thermidor. I services would you like to see on the Web?

JSJOURNAL Provisions manager TAKE YOUR SEATS TO VIEW THE Dominl£|ue Kent of Sevenoaks. PERFORMANCE A new computer system in an easy to use and easy to leam fomiat is set to revol­ utionise information management in the stores.

The two in-store Retail Management Information Systems (RMIS; pronounced 'reemiss') help managers sort Information quicker and more easily. The rollout of the next phase of the SABRE MIS begins on September 10. The other paclcage - Labour Costs - starts mass roll out to stores the following month, with other MIS systems planned for stores in the future. STUDY WITH SOUND AND VISION Hie old Branch Training System is to multimedia what SMIS - SABRE SMIS - Labour costs PALMS MIS an abacus is to a calculator.

HfilUflTFII'mil So what does a Edit View Options Recording Quer Store training is about to enter the 21st century as new es Window Help management information mM aHDi aia WMI system do in JS? Previously, powerful multimedia PCs are distributed to every district managers had to wait for over the coming month. Sound and video are combined in figures from head and area offices relating to the SABRE an interactive training package that staff con work through ordering system or to at their own pace. Not only is multimedia a lot more fun, labour costs. They then had to wade through piles research has shown speed of learning, understanding, of computer print-outs and and the amount remembered can be half as much again try to visualise the patterns and trends. This would OS traditional methods. then hopefully reveal Each district will soon have one IBM Pentium 90 'exceptions' - blips in the trends - so they could react computer with CD-ROM drive (the packages work from CDs to potential problems. just like music compact discs) and software packages Now they have, at their fingertips, computer tools in the form of MIS to present the covering topics like Leading Teams, Produce Recognition figures graphically on the screen in seconds. and, shortly, a meat training package. You don't have to be Einstein to use RMIS. But the user can be their own Sherlock Holmes. You can present Mike Povall of retail training and resourcing raves the information at different levels of detail and compare about the new system: 'The system engages all your factors to investigate ways to improve a department's performance, such as spotting increases in spending on senses and is user friendly even for the computer illiterate overtime and exploiting opportunities for sales growth. like me. You are allowed to learn from mistakes. It is also Explains project manager Sean Farmer, 'We are trying to get away from paper based reporting to give management fun, especially when staff work in small groups. In the the tools to investigate the root causes of problems.' future we expect multimedia to become a key vehicle for Comments like 'it's wonderful', 'it will save me hours' and 'it's very simple' come thick and fast from manage­ training.' ment that have used the Labour Costs system. One of the reasons that this system is so user friendly is the constant consultation that has taken place between end users and the project team. South Western regional services manager Geoff Truscott has been involved from an early Virtual shopping stage: 'The project team have talked to the users not just once but continually.' The system has the flexibility to accommodate many more management information systems in the future, customer service figures from CARES for example. Eventually, users will be able to see an overall picture of the store's performance at a glance.

The next Journal will be checking out the virtual store at Saiford. A JS experinnent with virtual reality is opening technological doors into the future of shopping and store design.

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 1995 13 GOINGS Few fellow competitors suspected Barry Dymond' s cunning plan to win the SSA fishing competition, and by the time they did it was too late. Basingstoke depot's Barry eventually took pole position at the Aldershot Springlakes in July and explained to the Journal, 'I formulated a plan and didn't deviate from it. I had a special bait cocktail that was completely different from everyone else's.' Barry stuck to his guns, though his neighbour caught onto his tactics, but too late. Barry savoured the moment he was presented with his £500 prize by World Champion Bob Nudd. He wasn't too overawed to cheekily ask for Bob's trade-mark white cap though! Women's competition winner Gill Coggins from Tamworth thoroughly enjoyed the day and was quick to complement the quality of the venue and organisation of the competition. She admitted she was lucky to take the title since she caught nothing for two hours and netted her final catch in the last few minutes. Despite her modesty, Gill may have the makings of a natural because she only started the sport in April and had to make do with a second-hand rod for the competition. Her prize money will go towards a new one which she intends to christen on a fishing holiday in Ireland. Our condolences to family and friends of Ken Martin who was runner up in the veterans division and passed away two weeks after the event.

News in brie Tesco to build in underlying pre-tax profits, permits supermarkets to Northern Ireland overtaking Safeway as sell alcoholic beverages Britain's third biggest food throughout the hours they retailer according to some are permitted to open on Tesco has announced that commentators. Just a few Sundays. its first store in Northern years ago the company Ireland will be a Tesco was on the brink of Metro town centre shop. It reitr ;> .iuptrsuiuc ^ collapse. has acquired the Allied party r Irish Bank site at Castle Junction and the chain said Open all hours Meat senior manager Peter they intend to purchase Morrison attended a additional sites. Off-licences are now champagne reception in allowed to stay open on July for 100 customers Sundays from 10.00am til who won a flight on Gough were not left empty Hot sales Asda results 10.30pm so the days of Concorde. handed. They may not comeback cordoning off the BWS Peter's department have open access passes to The hot weather was sections in stores are over. organised the competition Bewdley but they are responsible for a 40% Asda impressed the City The Licensing (Sunday as a promotion in a leaflet sharing £300 of SSA- increase in ice cream sales with its full year results Hours) Act which came for traditional beef. organised offers and in JS and a 20% increase with a 35% increase in into effect on August 6 vouchers. in soft drinks sales. Not all that jazz CORRECTION: I We announced in the last Spend & Save Cheque clearing The caption to our picture on page 3 of the July issue issue the lucky winners in arrives in Texas goes to Nat West regarding the MBA graduates incorrectly named our Bewdley Jazz Festival Colin Rye and Rick Beazley. Rick is on the far left competition. Sadly, the The Spend and Save Cheques processed and Colin second from left. event was cancelled so we loyalty card can now be through JS tills are now Colin Bartleet of Plymouth Texas has just achieved pulled out the stops to used in Texas Homecare banked by Natwest, an MBA qualification on a similar distance learning make sure that winner stores as well as the replacing the previous course as the JS version that we reported. Patrick Deeble and runners original Homebase outlets. agreement with Barclays. up John Dick and Albert

14 JS JOURNAL SHARE AND SHARE ALIKE

Almost all of you will have received recently the v/elcome bonus of the profit share in your pay packets. And a lot of you now participate in the Save As You Earn scheme (SAYE) as well. After initial confusion, we now know that the report by Richard Greenbury's committee on share schemes has no effect on SAYE or Profit Sharing (only executive share option schemes) but it has raised the profile of such schemes. Here is a quick guide to the JS employee share schemes:

to the same tax and National Insurance start a new scheme each year, in addition as your regular pay. Shares, on the to any started in previous years, as long other hand, are totally tax free if you as the total of payments do not exceed What is it? hold onto them for five years. £200 per period. The scheme was introduced in 1979 when the company was permitted by law Is it worth it? What are the benefits? to offer profit share to employees. Each Typical employee Sheila (earning around If the share price has risen during the five year since then the company has set £12,000 per year) taking all shares since years you win. If it hasn't, you still win aside up to 10% of the annual profits to 1980 would be sitting on a fund worth because you can take the cash plus bonus the Profit Fund for distribution to staff. over £25,000. Looking at it another tax free. A complex formula is used to calculate way. Sheila would have taken home £580 As with the profit share, the company the exact amount to be distributed. cash in profit sharing in 1990, but if she also benefits in a number of ways. As This formula, determined by the had taken shares, these would now be assistant company secretary Bill Hamilton directors, was modified last year so that worth over £ 1,500. explains, 'Employee share schemes the property provision in the accounts encourage staff loyalty and motivation. did not reduce the amount distributed Who qualifies? You feel it is more 'your company' to employees. All staff qualify but you need to have because you have a stake in it. Also, been employed by JS for at least one full share schemes like ours can contribute How does it work? JS financial year prior to the qualifying to our retention of staff.' You can choose between cash and date. For the first couple of years' shares. Cash profit sharing is paid into service you receive a proportion of the Is it worth it? the July or August pay packet. If you full profit share: the proportion of Just a bit! If Sheila had contributed as choose to take shares, these shares are qualifying pay to which the distribution much as possible each year since 1974 allotted to you and held by the Trustees rate is applied for one years' service is and kept all her shares, they would be of the Profit Sharing Scheme but owned half; for two years' service is three worth over £232,000. by you. The Trustees will hold the quarters and after three years' service Many staff can see the benefits of shares for five years, after which time all of your pay is considered when the employee share schemes - in fact about they are transferred to you free of profit share is calculated. one third of the I I 1,000 JS share holders income tax. If you then sell them, you in March 1995 were staff. incur Capital Gains Tax (CGT) on any profit over £6,000 (profit is the SAYE difference between the value of the WHAT DO I DO? shares when they were first allotted to What is it? you and the value at the share price When you qualify for profit This is a five year savings plan and share when you sell). It is possible to avoid share you v^^ill be personally option scheme combined. If you choose CGT by transferring the shares direct to notified and asked what not to buy shares with the money you a Personal Equity Plan after the five proportions you would like to have saved after five years you can take years. take in cash or shares - that is the money accumulated plus a bonus the time to make your You cannot sell the shares until the currently worth 5.53% free of tax. decision. The SAYE scheme is second anniversary of allotment. If you offered around November/ sell the shares between the second and How does it work? December each year so watch fourth anniversary you are charged tax You invest between £10 and £200 per notice bpard^jhenj^etaiis. on 100% of the market value. This period, deducted straight from your pay drops to 75% if you sell during year four. packet. After five years, you can purchase the shares to the value of your What are the ber^efits? savings plus bonus. The price of the Profit share is worth around 9-10% of shares is set at a 20% discount on the your salary. You can take cash or shares Stock Exchange middle market price at or a combination of both. Cash is liable the beginning of that scheme. You can

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 1995 15 CHECK

District manager iVIilte Goodman's Penny Back presentation on July 1 was no ordinary JS donation.

Almost £15,000 was raised by the district's fundraising activities and Penny Back donations for the John Penfold Memorial Fund. John was stabbed to death attempting to stop a thief at the London Woolworth's where he worked. His father Micl< Penfold is deputy store manager at Hampton store and his mother Madeleine works the Journal, 'This will be a memorial at Kingston JS. to John if at a great cost. It is The money is going towards amazing how we collected so much. an extension to the IVIethodist I would like to thank all my friends church to which John belonged. and colleagues, especially Mike With other corporate donations Goodman, for all their support.' and several thousand pounds Ian Kay was jailed for life last from The Sun newspaper, the month for John's murder. Kay, Left to right at the cheque presentation are Karen, Madeleine and Michael Fund has reached over £50,000 described by the judge as a Penfold with Reverend Robert Jones and Milce Goodman. and the extension Is on course to psychopath, was on leave from open next year. Mick Penfold told prison when he attacked.

Whitley Bay goes radio ga ga

Whigfield's song Debbie and Darren as Saturday Night will Minnie and Mickey. never be the same for staff at Whitley Bay after store manager Alan Gilbert gave his own rendition of the song live during the Metro Radio Roadshow. The store hosted the roadshow during the two week customer Initiative celebrations in June. Local DJ Lee Feinann presented the show and gave away prizes to listeners and customers. Rub a dub dub An in-store competition was Newbury JS took part in the yet,' said a team member. held for customers to nominate annual Newbury Craft Race Although the crew managed STORE'S PARTY the most friendly and helpful along the River Kennet and this to keep the boat afloat for the year trounced arch rival Tesco's. Harpenden member of staff. Customer duration of the race, once over The team of 12 took to the i celebrating its 25th Birthd services manager Alan Gray was the finishing line it promptly water in their homemade craft - capsized. Said branch manager on August 25 nominated and won a helicopter a few empty oil drums and and crew member Dave Elliott, with a dinner and dance oi trip courtesy of Metro Radio. plastic tubing - to complete the 'The boat did a sterling job, but October 7 at a local hotel.' Supermarket assistants Darren eight mile, nine lock race along also gave us sore arms and legs If anyone is interested in ' McDonald and Debbie Arkley the canal. During the land dash for days aftenwards.' Dming along, could they ple| dressed up as Mickey and Minnie around the first lock, Newbury Over £4,000 was raised by contact the personnel Mouse for the roadshow and overtook Tesco's and the race for The Rotary Club. department by OASIS or ] presented children with balloons maintained their lead to finish telephone 01582 763558. and lollipops. 8th In a field of 42. 'Our best

16 JSJOURNAL The main attraction They're a wild bunch at London's free-ad paper. He called week compared to neighbouring Whitechapei. Customers were a few people advertising bikes for stores' figures of between five bowled over when they first sale and asked if they would loan and fifteen cases.' caught sight of the Indiana Gold their bike to the store. 'It was in In addition to the in- promotion during July. Parked place for three weeks,' he said, 1 store promotion, the branch right in the middle of the foyer 'and we had incredible sales on ^" also ran a competition in the was a 1976 Harley Davidson Indiana Gold. For the two lines, local East London Sportster motorbike we were selling 60-80 cases a Advertiser g^w'mg away surrounded by cans and five cases of bottles of Indiana Gold. Indiana Gold as Services deputy Steve prizes. Meechan decided to catch Tickled to eat you his customers' attention by The opening of East Prescot creating an Ail- Road's new Shopper's American theme: Restaurant was a tattifalarious stars and event when local celebrity Ken stripes, beer Dodd brought along his tickling and that bike. stick. Ken, who joked with He found the customers and staff on July 31, bike by looking donated his appearance fee to through Loot, a local cancer charity.

Netball challenge He's been to the 0ace Stand back new World Champions to see the Queen ^ Australia - here come the Alton netball team! Runners-up in the 4th division of the Basingstoke netball league, . m ' 1 ^ ^, ,^^^ J the Alton team have only been V_^^^^ij4iii^^^^^S^^ playing a year and began 'just for a laugh'. Ten staff members train together once a week in a near-by park and play a league game once a week as well. The team has now been promoted to the third division for the new season. If any other branches have netball teams and wish to challenge Alton, please contact captain, Siobhan Woodcock at Water Lane on 01252 718061. Ice cream is good for chiidren Len and his wife Jessie at American Independence Buckingham Palace. Day and National Ice Cream Week kept three Len Rudman, customer service stores very busy assistant at Kidlington, enjoyed a promoting products and right royal occasion recently when entertaining customers. he was invited to the Queen's At Arnold, customers Garden party on July 18 in could buy appreciation for almost 60 years Indulgence ice of association with the Royal cream cones British Legion, culminating in the for 50p. chairmanship of the Legion's Sylvia Lowe in grocery made the costumes and the Woodstock branch. But staff at decorations for the ice cream stall. £113,68 raised by the the branch believe that, if Len's venture will be donated to Children in Need. popularity with customers is Staff from Newhaven's Oasis Coffee Shop anything to go by, the Queen must celebrated the Fourth of July by dressing up in ail- have decided that his company American dress. Dawn Featherstone served was just too enjoyable to miss. customers while dressed as Scarlett O'Hara, and Len, aged 82, has worked at the colleagues Catherine Murphy, Maureen Pateman and Kidlington branch since it opened Valerie Waters arrived in jeans and cowboy boots. in 1991 and is described by his colleagues as 'the original English At Pepperhill, Shirley Tiller, petrol station gentleman'. 'I'm not', he says assistant, dressed as Uncle Sam in an effort to draw modestly, 'one to sit around. attention to a variety of products including pop corn I really enjoy the people - and Indiana Gold. Children visiting the store were customers and staff.' given an American flag souvenir. Pure Indulgence at Arnold.

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 1995 17 STORES AT LARGE YOUR ACTIVITIES IN THE COMMUNITY

When vegetable buyer Colin Hill was asked to go on a cycling holiday with four friends, he didn't realise what he was letting himself in for. What followed was a 954 mile trek from Land's End to John O'Groats over one week In June, spending around nine and half hours a day In the saddle. It was tortuous and painful, and when it was all over the champagne corks popped. 'I thought "never again!".' said Colin. 'Without the help of Nikki Harris and Gill Ireland (cooks, physios and drivers A combined) who pandered to our every need, we would Brendan Glyn, Lee Green manager, steps over the never have reached our destination and raised the edge of Drury House as the other abseilers watch. £2,500 for Imperial Cancer Research.' S JS would not normally taken up water skiing, • At liford, deputy bakery manager Odran Lafferty and condone staff throwing I'm training for my senior butcher Mattliew Yarnold also took to the saddle. themselves from the top of private pilot's licence They competed in the gruelling London to Brighton Cycle 11 storey buildings, but on and I've been up in a hot Run in aid of the British Heart Foundation and in the July 31 it was all in aid of air balloon. But I have process raised £230. a good cause. Forty seven to say I loved it!' With the encouragement of workmates who manned a staff from Richard Davis' Sponsorship and support vehicle, Odran and Matthew finished the 58 mile district and head office donations from race in 3 hours 49 minutes. Said Odran, 'We might even abseiled one by one from customers should bring do it again!' the top of Drury House, the total raised to well Blackfriars, to raise money over £7,000. for the Physically George also has jus Handicapped and Able had the dubious Bodied (PHAB) charity. For pleasure of having a each it was a mental battle horse named after him. to step over the edge but And he thinks it's greatl they were reassured by the Arrow Riding Centre Relieved Matthew Yarnold professionalism of 6 Cadet and Odran Lafferty. for the Disabled named Training Team Royal one of their horses Artillery who provided the George after branch equipment. Organiser and staff and customers Dartford store manager raised £1,000 towards George Smart was the first its sponsorship. down the head office building and had little time One and a half million pennies bring sunshine to admire the magnificent Take the dedication of 12 disadvantaged children, recently when a cheque for view across the city. He branches and the was presented with the £4,456 was handed over to admitted, 'I am a bit of a enthusiasm of district keys for the minibus by the Cheshire Homes nutter I suppose - I've just manager Bryn Page, a comedian Jimmy Tarbuck Foundation. Spurred on by worthy cause and a Penny and Bryn Page. Richard Davies, staff at Lewisham, West Wickham Penny Back scheme. Back scheme and what do Services deputy Beckenham, Bromley, and Woolwich encouraged The cheque was you get? One and a half manager for Wandsworth, Chislehurst, Crayford, customers to re-use their presented by Richard and million pennies! Jim Deegan explained that Dartford, Dulwich, Eltham, plastic carrier bags and to members of staff to Gerry Last year, Mr Page's as Wandsworth store had Forest Hill, Lee Green, take part in the company's Wooding Jones of the St district accepted a raised the largest amount Cecilia's Cheshire Home challenge to collect they were asked to choose in Bromley and Pamela £15,000 towards the the chairty to receive the Wharton of the Chipstead purchase of a Sunshine Sunshine Coach. 'The Lake Cheshire Home in Coach to be used by a coach is already a regular Sevenoaks. The Cheshire children's charity or sight,' he told the Journal. Homes Foundation organisation. promotes care, general Assuntina Cardillo-Zallo, Every penny helps well-being and project co-ordinator for rehabilitation of people Contact a Family Sainsbury's was the with physical, mental and Wandsworth, a charitable favourite ingredient in learning disabilities. organisation for Richard Davies' district I

18 JS JOURNAL ^11 It BLACKPOOL ILLUMINATIONS WEEKEND OCTOBER 21/22

Blackpool is famous for its own street theatre. Th

•2. 2. o autumn illuminations provide a sheer spectacle of^, o S s; colour and razzmatazz. The ridiculous price o ~ "• "• S includes: coach travel, hotel accommodj English breakfast and the illuminations tour. L o> o 5 Q. £• m We depart early from area offices/stores and Blackfriars on Saturday to travel north, with — comfort stops en route, to arrive in Blackpool mid- "Sc llliti 0} 3; i afternoon. There's free time to explore and aps s. o = ^ chance to ride the Pepsi-Max Big One. In-ths CD ffQ evening, we will drive through the illuming before heading off to the Holland Hall Ho Upholland near Wigan. We leave the hot C O EU Sunday morning with a detour via the picturesque Derbyshi Buxton), arriving back at your pick-up points in the late afternoo._

I To secure your booking for this great weekend, telephone Yorkshire Coachlines (part of International Travel Club) on 01484 a o ^, ; 519915. A limited number of single rooms are available at no extra charge on a first come, first served basis. (Pick ups at:

W (D 'area offices/stores - Romford, Woking, Uxbridge, Bromley, Coventry and Stamford House, Blackfriars). Light up your weekend S 3

55 s. CO! KETS There are still some tickets available We'll drink to for the following concerts: GARY GLITTER Sunday, December 17, 1995 at Sheffield Arena £20

M PEOPLE Friday, November 24, 1995 at Royal Albert Hall (standing or seated)....£20

THE BEAUTIFUL SOUTH Tuesday, November 21, 1995 at Wembley Arena £18 ro All tickets advertised include an ro - Agency Fee.

SSA CABARET NIGHT HAMBURG DOM BEER FESTIVAL AND CRUISE Sunday, October 11995 7.30 - 11.30pm £27 NOVEMBERS, 12,19 & 26 (incl. 3 course meal) Don't delay, send your order forms now to For just £84 per person, you can enjoy the luxury of cruising coupled with a beer the central SSA office, Blackfriars. festival in Hamburg. The price includes an air-conditioned inside cabin with shower and toilet, three breakfasts and a sightseeing tour of Hamburg. The MS Hamburg leaves SSA offers are negotiated on behalf of our Harwich at 5.30pm each Sunday, cruises down the River Elbe and arrives in Hamburg Details of joining the SSA are available froi.., __. at 3.00pm on Monday. On-board facilities include bars, restaurants, disco, live band personnel manager. Texas staff will be able to join just and cinemas. Line your stomach and enjoy some sightseeing until 6.00pm when the as soon as the company's payroll system is able to festival opens. What an 'Intoxicating' mixture: beer halls, oompah bands, fun fair rides, deduct subscriptions. traditional food and much more. After a hearty breakfast in the Alster restaurant, enjoy A list of SSA offers is now available on e-mail the rest of the day shopping in the city centre before returning to Hanwich by midday bulletin boards. Wednesday.

'Grab your coat and get your hat, JSBURY'S WEEKEND OF FUN AT SUSSEX BEACH HOLIDAY VILLAGE leave your worries on the doorstep,' come and enjoy a OCTOBER 13-16, 1995 weekend of fun at Sussex Beach lis weekend is specially reserved for Sainsbury's staff and their Holiday Village, Bracldesham Bay^ milies. Although we cannot rely on the English weather, we can rely 1 the fun. The weekend comprises three nights with full entertain- See the SSA News for many lent programme including dancing, nightly shows, disco, late night other forthcoming events, itertainment and events during the day and for the kids. Choose including three nights in New lOm: Caribbean Suites (half board only) £62 per person. York at New Year; Northern Child 2-14 years - half price (half board). Racing Day on November 4, Babies under two free of charge. Bilbao mini cruise, • 2 Berth Bungalows (1 bedroom).. £45 Bosworth Hall murder mystery 4 Berth Bungalow (2 bedroom).... £60 weekend and build up to the (£10 per extra guest in a 4 berth bungalow) 1996 Company Quiz. A limited number of cots are available, free of charge. Dogs are accepted but a supplement of £15 will be charged. I w Contact the central SSA office, ext.7227 for a booking form.

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 1395 19 Send us your love story

Love is everyone's favourite ingredient. And everyone remembers the and the Thames. A luxury car will then whisk bitter sweetness of their first love or their first liiss. Now is your chance you off to the Ritz for dinner a la carte. The next to share your romantic story with the rest of the world. We're looking for morning you will re-live the romantic age of steam the most romantic, funny or unusual way in which a aboard the British Pullman couple (one or both partners must be currently carriages of the Venice Simplon employed by the Sainsbury Group met. Orient-Express. Enjoy an The couple our judges choose as having the best impeccable meal as you journey through beautiful story will be able to rekindle their passion in style. country-side to one of a selection of historic country Your prize trip will involve staying in London for the towns. After a tour of the sites you will relax with first night in one of the luxurious International Hotel's evening supper on the return leg and final night in top rooms, with its fantastic views across Docklands the International.

Three newly weds are our first entrants in the competition. Here are their romantic stories: Full of surprises When a couple send each other poems for Valentine's Day, romance is in the air. Chief display assistant Anita Bacon from Haverhill and Michael McKinstry, training manager fresh foods at Stratford, are such a couple. Recently married, the couple met over four years ago. 'He was the warehouse manager,' said Anita 'and when we met at a j^ Christmas do he asked me out.' Two weeks after their first date, Michael went on holiday to America with a friend. One morning, not long after he left, Anita received a huge bouquet from him and the surprises have not stopped. 'I once dropped a box and had a long bruise on my leg,' said Anita. 'When I went home, I found a rose on the back of my car, from Michael. It was for my leg!' On Christmas eve 1993, at Heathrow Airport, Michael dropped to his knee (in the middle of the parking area) and proposed. 'I wasn't expecting it,' said Anita, 'although we had spoken about getting married.' ~ Someone else^s girl

Deli assistant Julie Park and night shift manager David Rowell, both of Durham store, were married after a two year courtship at St Giles Church in Durham on June 17. 'A while ago I was told I had an admirer,' said Julie, 'but I had been going out with another bloke for five years. David didn't think he stood a chance, and must have liked me for about a year before we finally went out on our first date.' The classic romantic, David armed himself with a dozen red roses and a huge box of chocolates when he took Julie on their first date to see Father of the Bride. A year later he proposed and a year after that they were married. Although they haven't been on a honeymoon yet - 'We've just bought a house,' explained Julie, 'so there's no time.' they are planning a trip to Majorca in September. A Rose changes her name Recently married Whitley Bay couple, Margaret Rose, chief display assistant, and Alan Duncan, frozen food replenishment assistant, met at work when Alan dropped everything - literally! He was transporting bread crates from the back door and they toppled over. Margaret and another girl called Heather were walking past at the time. Margaret stopped to help him pick them up, but Heather kept on walking. Alan then nicknamed Margaret, Marvellous Margaret - Heather was Horrible Heather! Alan plucked up the courage to ask Margaret out on a date, but she turned him down. His chat up line being Do you like Queen? (the band). She turned him down several times before saying yes, according to her just to shut him up! They courted for two years before Alan proposed. One evening as she slept, she was woken by a noise outside the house. She looked outside to see Alan, with all his mates around him, down on one knee, singing the song Somebody to love by Queen (a favourite track for both of them!). After his rendition, he shouted, probably waking half the neighbourhood, 'Marry me Margaret' - well what could she say, but yes!

20 Prizes supplied by the Everyone's Favourite Ingredient co-ordinating team. JS JOURNAL highlighted that the choice jj of packaging material has :| WRIYELINES very little impact on the ij environment compared to ii continued from pg.7 WHY WE SHOULD area I am sure it could the effect of misusing the I CRY OVER SPILT only enhance our image as product, such as not using l MILK an environmentally caring the food and throwing it l company. I look forward away. Between 5 and 30% ji Diane Barnes, to hearing your comm­ of milk is wasted in the ji replenishment/ ents. home. The energy content of ii checlCambridge curr­ from work!' But it was ently has no facilities for authority rightly states that infrastructure to support ii recycling plastics. I under­ the environmental and cost plastic recycling is currently jj Gillian who did all the benefits can be outweighed underdeveloped. Sainsbury's jj stand the cost and petrol work that day! Involved in transporting it by the colleaion costs, such will support any develop- i to the nearest recycling as transportation. ments in this area, as far as i " ctory, in Manchester, Studies in Holland have possible. I as outweighing the enefits achieved. Also, I understand there are Pauline Dobson, coffee shop manager, currently no easy ways of Deepdale (!* separating different types of plastics. I would like to thank the company for paying If the company were for my course fees for the national examination to lead the way in this board of supervisory management, through Choices. Doreen and Samantha I have just completed and passed the course Watford, Wandsworth. and I would not have been able to attend I would like to say a huge without the company offering to pay. thank you to everyone I would like to recommend this course to any throughout the company, r^*fH:9 management staff who would like to learn every especially those at Black- aspect of management. The company is friars and Wandsworth supporting us in improving our skills. Choices is branch, for all the kindness there for us to use. So let's go for it. Samantha and I received after our tragic loss. Jack had so many friends and Mrs M Hutchison, personnel manager, Farnborough would have been proud of I was surprised to receive the following letter from the daughter of a member of you all. Samantha and I are staff: 'Please can my mum change her hours on Friday 21st of July? Can she be now picking up our lives, home for 6 o'clock please, as I took my dancing test and I did really well, but I have but will never forget all a presentation on that day and I would like my mum to come and watch me get my your kindness. medal.'

lEPTEMBER 1995 New in the cake aisle are two more selections for the existing pie range. Summer Selection and Fruits of the Forest join Bramley Apple Pies and Apple & Blackcurrant Pies. Each box consists of six pies made with shortcrust pastry and fruit fillings made from fruit pieces. Summer Selection comprises three varieties: bramley apple, apricot and raspberry and redcurrant. These sell for 83p. Fruits of the Forest are filled with blackcurrants, redcurrants, raspberries and strawberries and sell at 85p. Bramley Apple pies and Apple & Blackcurrant pies, selling for 72p and 83p respectively, both have new improved recipes. IVIOST STORES. Nature's finest The name may be familiar but the Nature's Compliments range now comprises 56 brand new products. The sophisticated toiletries are formulated with natural extracts renowned for their beneficial properties in beauty care. The range consists of skincare, bath/shower care, hair care and body care products made from either fruit, floral or marine extracts. All retail for under £2. Choose a Starflower and Chamomile Gentle Facial Toner or an Almond and Mallow Foaming Bath Creme. Or for the more exotic. Jojoba and Monoi Conditioning Shampoo or maybe Grape Seed and Kiwi '•'•^ Frequent Use Shampoo. Also available are a number of accessories such as loofahs, sponge bags and self assembly gift boxes. The range (with the exception of the soaps) is dermatologically tested and none of the products are tested on IWo's scrumptious, animals. MOST STORES forget the crowd Ever had friends round to dinner just so you could indulge in Five new lines have been introduced to buying a whole gateau? The new revive interest in frozen fish, namely: Sainsbury's Two Portion Gateau Isle of Skye Scottish Salmon Fillets will be welcomed by those who (300g), Scallops (227g), Jamaican No pain want something special all to Red Tilapia (250g), Greenland Halibut themselves or to share between fillets (250g), and Scottish Smoked wood stain two. The hand finished gateaux Salmon (150g). Rainbow Trout are available in three varieties. (500g), which used to be Chocolate Orange (148g), sold in a bag, is incorporated Chocolate (156g) or Black Forest into the frozen line. (156g). All retail at 99p. The fish are And if all your friends do come ' Ji packaged in cartons complete round you can buy all three and with a recipe suggestion. All offer the choice. Only danger is, products are fresh when they might begin to think you're a frozen and maintain their freshness right up until they are served. restaurant! MOST STORES Prices vary from £1.89 for Jamaican Red Tilapic and Greenland Halibut Always keen to encourage Fillets to £3.69 for Scottish Salmon Fillets. SELECTED STORES environmental friendliness, Homebase has launched Quick Drying Woodstain, a water based formulation which is By special arrangement kinder to the environment as If your roses are round the bend, your chrysanthemums are well as drying in half the time of crooked and your daffodils are all in a bunch, a standard woodstain. rearrange your floral display using Homebase It's available in two sizes Floral Foam. Available in discs or bricks, the (250ml and 750ml) and eight packaged range of foam is suitable for fresh colours including cedar, or dried flowers and retails at £1.19. They rosewood, ebony, and come with detailed usage instructions and are golden pine. simple and easy to use. ALL STORES. Prices start from £2.99 for 250ml to £5.99 for 750ml. ALL STORES.

JS JOURNAL ROBBIE HAMPTON, kitchen CHARLES STEPHEN, senior porter, Basingstoke depot butcher, Ashford (37yrs). (14yrs). SHIRELY HEATON, JEAN SULLIVAN, fresh food PEOPLE senior checkout assistant, replenishment assistant, Preston (9yrs). MARGARET Kempshott (26yrs). ERIC store manager, Macclesfield. Tonbridge. JEAN VANN, grocery HILL, checkout/replenishment TENNANT, trolley collector, LONG SERVICE MARGARET BROWN, cash office replenishment, Walthamstow. assistant. Forest Hill, Ashford (24yrs). GEORGE Employees who have clerk, Fairfield Park. DON WALES, reception (26yrs). JOAN HOPPING, meat TuoHY, senior petrol station completed 40 years' service: CATHERINE BULLOCKFLINT, fresh manager, Springfield. VALERIE preparation assistant, assistant, Croydon Purley DON HAWKINS, store manager, food replenishment WATERMAN, fresh food Brentwood (25yrs). SYLVIA Way (Syrs). DORIS VENN, BWS HUDSON, general office clerk, replenishment, Bitterne Farnborough. GEOFF WHILLOCK, assistant, High Wycombe. replenishment. Queens Blackpole (7yrs). ELIZABETH (ISyrs). ARTHUR WILKINSON, fish counter, North Cheam. LINDA CLARKE, chief display Road. ANTHONY WHITCHER, HUNTER, bakery counter warehouse operative, PATRICIA NEWMAN, meat assistant, Poole. PETER deputy manger fresh food, assistant, Canley (13yrs). preparation assistant, CULLEN, senior deputy fresh Redditch. VALERIE WHITE, non Basingstoke depot (Syrs). Streatham Common. JOHN food, Tamworth. MIKE DA VIES, perishable warehouse, DON HURFORD, chef, Basing­ MYRA WILLIS, checkout/ DINES, technical engineer business systems manager, Basingstoke depot. JANET stoke depot (27yrs). RUSSELL replenishment assistant, officer, distribution, customer and product, WOOD, assistant manager, INCE, chef, Basingstoke depot Brentwood (14yrs). KENNETH (27yrs). AUDREY KWASNIAK, WILLIS, trolley collector, Blacl

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 1995 23 A RCHIVES A puzzler at the first Dulwich family day, June 1978.

Below: Fun day at Brighton 1976.

he event was to be organised as an dramas, disasters alternative to the popular fetes and fun and triumphs of I days that had been held for Sainsbury's Family Day. He staff and their families in Brighton and played a key role at the company's Dulwich sports in its foundation, Dground. The first JS Gala Day was held at the organising the newly acquired Dulwich sports ground on Whit very first South Monday, 1923. It featured side shows and a Eastern area Jean Jeapes deals a giant joker at Dulwich, 1978. cricket match though facilities were somewhat events at Brighton from 1974-1976, and limited: visitors had to bring their own sandwiches. subsequently no fewer than 14 national family days at Dulwich, Ardingley and Brands Hatch. ALL THE FUN OF THE Family fetes were held at the Dulwich grounds 'The unique value of Family Day, he says, 'was the FAMILY until 1963, though it continued to host smaller way in which it brought staff from all over the scale family and sporting events. Gala Days at country together. There were some hairy times - Spring of 1978 saw a mammoth operation Brighton had also been extremely successful - the like the night we spent holding up the marquees in to prepare for the first national final event in 1976 had attracted 7,000 visitors. But the midst of a terrible storm - but we always got it the Sainsbury's Family Day, organised by the right on the day.' Sainsbury's Family Day on June 18. SSA, was to cap it all. Both the Griffin Club sports ground at Dulwich and the adjacent Heme Hill stadium were used. Ten thousand visitors were expected but 12,000 turned up on the day. The main events were a Superstars competition and an It's a Knockout tournament in the style of the Stewart Hall- hosted TV show. That was a great crowd puller, with a proliferation of flour, water and wheelbarrows, and a highly entertaining waterchute marathon. Children enjoyed donkey rides, painting and egg and spoon races in the perfect summer weather. One exhausted athlete suggested The last Family Day was held at Dulwich in 1988. that next year the Heme Hill track should be By this time, the expansion of the company's renamed Hernia Hill! trading area meant that it was not appropriate to hold a company-wide event in London. By 1990, The following year over 13,000 JS staff and their the decision was made to close the Dulwich sports families attended, and there were 150 football ground. Funds instead were allocated to the retail teams for the five-a-side contest, and about 40 division, area offices and the distribution division teams for the netball competition. By 1981, the to ensure that staff and their families could continue SSA Family Day was attracting nearly 20,000 to enjoy the happy traditions established by the visitors, and the football competition hosted over original Gala days. 200 teams. It was one of the hottest days of the year and the refreshments soon ran out.

David Dahms, Savacentre quality and retail cost manager, who has just retired from the Group after NEXT MONTH 37 years' service, remembers more than most the • Virtual shopping

The Summer Fete organised by South Eastern area and the SSA at • We invite you to vote for Brighton, July 1973 coincided with the public flotation of the best product company. Six year old Mark Waite was awarded second prize in the fancy dress competition for his 'JS share'. • Poster guide to directors

24 JSJOURNAL TOO SHORT A LIFE? to offer the customer a fuller range throughout the Darren Sinclair, fresh week without the losses we foods manager, used to incur. Nantwich On produce, for example, been issuing products free of On recent visits to our we have to bring melons HALF BAKED competitors, including M&S, into the store over a week IDEAS charge to the general public Sandra Hunt, customer, Hornchurch: torn up and stuck on the model to make the coat, and staff to sample, for I have noticed that the life before an instore demon- feedback on the products in I am a full-time student at the Havering College of shoes and stockings. The blonde hair was a yellow on their fresh foods is stration so that they will be June Wilson, meat longer than ours. This in ripe enough for customers question. Early indications Further and Higher Education. In September 1994 I polystyrene tray and the scarf was knitted using replenishment assistant, reveal a much improved level itself is not a good enough to taste. Yet, if they were Oldham of satisfaction. started along with eleven other mature students, the about six Sainsbury's shopping bags cut into reason to review the life of out on display, they would products but maybe we are be out of code. My colleagues and I are Thank you for taking the first year of a two year BTEC Modular Foundation continuous strips. The features of the face consist of taking this opportunity to trouble to bring this matter to being over-harsh with our I know that a great deal bring to your attention a my attention. You can be Course, which has introduced us to different till receipts over moulded Plasticine, The tile-effect life coding. of work goes into prod- I understand that our ucing life for products recent change in the assured that this issue had techniques of study and craft skills. base was covered with coupons and the mosaic provision of fresh bread already been raised and action company prides itself on its through buyers, suppliers pattern was from the fish recipe leaflets. The that is causing a significant was being token. The benefits One of the modules was called A Sense of good reputation and the and food technologists, yet I still feel with the examples I loss of custom. of developing a range like pre- Place. Over the years, along with many other ", shopping bags were cut down to model size and quality of its products and I Since the introduction formed bread are immense, would never want to have given, that we could the contents are Sainsbury's own products of the part-baked product but only if this can be achieved people, I have spent many hours shopping in Sains- compromise that in any way. perhaps look at certain products without affecting line, and closure of the in- while maintaining customer bury's. We've been transformed! Hence the model. u ,, .rp i, including the French stick which had to be In a recent change to the store baking facility, there satisfaction. company's service deli ready any of its quality and The structure of The Sainsbury Lady is scaled down to size by removing the soft has been a marked rise in meals, the life has been freshness. customer complaints about made of wood and chicken wire held together using bread from inside. reviewed and extended by our bread products which is ABLE LABELS two days. This has had a Geoff Spriegel, bits of wire and staples. Strips of newspaper soaked I thoroughly enjoyed making the model, echoed by our own experi- brilliant effect on our ability departmental director, ence as consumers of Fran Skinner, secretary, in wallpaper paste were placed over the chicken it kept the other students and my family scientific services Sainsbury bread. The main Coldhams Lane The shelf life of perishable wire to make a base for the final covering, which highly amused. It certainly is a Wendy South- issue is a difference in Whilst understanding all the foods assigned by Sainsbury's is an expert judgement which freshness at the time of reasons behind the market- consisted of recipe cards and leaflets which were conversation piece. combe, night shift, purchase - less fresh with ing strategy, and supporting considers microbiological the part-bake - and also the any moves that drive the Christchurch safety, product quality, the fact that it becomes stale business forward and commercial realities of more quickly. encourage custom, I do across to a large number of During a recent visit to distributing and selling the product and the way the Not only has the think that the Here to Help people and were designed to Mrs D Sinstadt, Mrs FE Woodard, the Bridges of Madison product deteriorated, but slogan could have been act as a memory jogger. We product will be stored and the loss of operation of the incorporated into our name could not incorporate features customer, Plymouth customer, Harlow County in Iowa, we found used by the customer. Product safety and quality is bakery has removed the badges. along the lines you suggest in Marsh Mills: Yesterday morning as I the following message aroma of freshly baked Also, the small plastic the time available. For the obviously of paramount Last week I needed to buy parked my car prior to bread from the store. We Ingredients for Success future, I can assure you that pinned on Roseman importance and even seem- ingly minor extensions to shelf believe that this is not only cards could be put to more comments such as yours are a quantity of dairy-free shopping, a very observant Bridge: To Robert Kincaive. extremely pleasant, but also advantageous use as a staff being considered. life must be thoroughly foods because my grand- shopper told me I had a flat If you'd like supper again contributes subtly to the identity card to include staff researched before implement- ambience of the store, discount and the slogan. son, who has a total allergy tyre. So I shopped, then when white moths are on ation. The shelf life assigned making the shopping experi- If we have got to be MILLENIUM MAYHEM? to all products is under to all dairy substances, was drove into your petrol the wing, shop at Sainsbury's ence that much better in covered in badges let's make constant review and the Sainsbury's. Our customers them useful, especially if we Nigel Collins, coming to visit me. garage, where I received the and come by tonight after scientific services division are employing the latest computer have remarked to us about have also to wear STAR replenishment assistant, My daughter sent me a greatest of help, thanks to you're finished, Francesco-' the change whilst making badges and Helping Hands, East Prescot Road techniques to determine positive comments about which are a lovely design Will our computer system list of foods she buys for your staff. Interesting. where shelf lives can be safely increased. We have been the bakery operations of but leave one feeling as if we be able to cope with the him in Essex. As the task A young man employed our local supermarket are wearing medals! change of century, ie 1999 able to increase shelf lives on competitors. to 2000? seemed a bit daunting, I there (I found out his name some lines and will do so again if we are satisfied that Trefor Hales, director Apparently, many comp- asked for help from the was David Ricketts) gave Graham Naylor, retail operations, replies: uters, instead of going to this can be achieved safely. regional director, I agree with your suggestion of 2000 could go to 1900. This customer services me super attention, changed With melons, it is notoriously difficult to deter- Northern area, replies: incorporating the Here to Help has something to do with department. the wheel and so sent me on Many thanks for your letter. slogan on staff name badges many computers using only mine the maturity level purely As you have rightly pointed and we have been working on two digits for the year, ie 95 My purpose in writing is my way 100% safe! on external appearance and, unlike other fruits like out, the introduction of pre- this idea. The large circular for 1995, so computers to commend them to you Thank you for such formed bread at Oldham has badges you have been wearing would go to year 00. nectarines and avocados, they do not ripen further after not gone without its problems. have been very helpful in and ask that you thank the service. harvest, ie the sugar levels will Only last week, represent- bringing our new marketing Chris Montagnon, staff on my behalf. atives from Coo/core (supply- strategy to everyone's atten- departmental director, not improve and the fruit will ing bakery) head office and tion. However, by the autumn, ISD, replies: In particular, I would Estelle Gee, customer, only become softer. With reference to the latter, I area representatives were in- we should be able to introduce You ore right. The yeor 2000 mention Sue Sullivan, Haverhill store to review production new name badges which will will be a major problem for all acknowledge some customers who could not have been I was a dedicated Tesco methods, staff training and incorporate the Here to Help computer systems. Most of may like the fruit a little less customer reaction. This action message. Regrettably, this may the difficulties arise because in more pleasant nor more shopper. Over the past six crisp. has been taken to ensure that necessitate the re-entering of the use of 'date routines' Your reference to product helpful. She turned a months I began to notice we provide our customers with alt name badge information at arithmetic is performed on the being out of code can be valid, excellent products in keeping each store which will take last two digits of the yeor. A dreaded shopping task into rather large price increases. but in the majority of shelf life time, but we are looking to group has been formed within tests carried out the current with the JS traditions of a pleasure. My father and I decided to quality. reduce the work involved. ISD to co-ordinate a review of shelf life appears correct to Having spoken to Mr The new name badges will every program and system to You are lucky to have give Sainsbury's a try. Nice maintain good internal quality, always remembering that the Chason, branch manager, he be in the company's colours identify where the dote is used staff of her calibre. shop, lower prices, better confirms that the quality of and I hope you'll agree they and to make the necessary Eileen Beweley, personnel manager, Durham/Whitley Bay customer also requires an product received from the look better. changes. We have to examine selection and extremely adequate shelf life. We are manufacturing plant has We have also been not only software developed In Chateau D'Oex in Switzerland they are currently building a new continually reviewing the helpful staff. Congratulations! position on shelf life with our improved considerably and we looking into the use of plastic by ourselves, but also that Co-op. The temporary building is this tent structure. If you look are confident that given the cards for a variety of purposes specialist software we use to buyers and also reviewing new varieties which will ensure efforts being made in-store, such as the ones you mention, run the computers. We are closely you can see water spraying over it to keep it cool. It was 30 the high quality that can be and staff discount cards are starting now and know we more consistent sugar levels produced from this range will shortly to be introduced. have to finish by December degrees in the shade while I was there. Perhaps this is the way for our customers. be available to customers at However, the Seven Service 31 1999! Oldham. It is always important Essentia/s cards were intro- forward for future JS refits. that we listen to our custo- duced to get a consistent mers and as such we have customer service message continued on pg.2l

JS JOURNAL SYDE'NHAM « i r I N G

Savacentre chairman David Quarmby cut the ribbon at the entrance to the new Savacentre at 9.15 with a hearty welcome of which the town crier by h side would have been proud!

Wolvethamplon

HYPERMARKET HOMEBASE 1 SYDENHAM WOLVERHAMPTON WOLVERHAMPTON Opening date: August 15, 1995 Opening date: July 21, 1995 The spanking new Homebase in Wolverhampton is Address: Perry Hill, Bell Green, Address: St John's Place Retail Park, a far cry from the ten-year-old Walsall store seven Sydenham, London Wolverhampton, West Midlands miles up the road that it replaces, and trade press Opened by: Savacentre chairman have even been seen lurking around with their Opened by: Homebase chairman David Quarmby cameras. Sculptures and friezes incorporated into Dino Adriano Store director: Jon Hartland the store commemorate the motor manufacturing Store manager: Jim Carroll that dominated the local industrial landscape. In Project manager: Chris Isherwood Project manager: Neil Hotston the 1920s and 30s, Wolverhampton-based Staff: 1,077 (800 new jobs) Staff: 60 (28 new jobs) companies made more cars than v Sales area: 85,000 sq ft Birmingham. Many of the names are lost Sales area: 42,950 sq ft in the mists of motoring history - Clyno, \ Car park: 1,000 spaces Car park: 400 spaces Frisky Motors and Star Motor Company, but old Sunbeams can still be seen on the roads Huge queues of eager customers heralded the today. And Steven Field's representations of opening of the company's eleventh hypermarket. the bonnet badges wilt ensure that the Dinosaurs, Thunderbirds characters, the names are never totally forgotten. Flintstones, Spiderman, a Savacentre-sponsored children's steel band and a jazz band all raised the tempo for customers waiting in the bright summer morning. As the first customers surged through, the first 300 picking up their free bouquets, the 45 checkouts stood ready. David Quarmby took a breather outside the store from the frantic activity, and the Journal mtt no* tiitMrw i* rut asked him about the opening: 'The Savacentre 1999 style suits this razzmatazz. Today is the culmination of such a lot of work-it really is something to celebrate. The staff and development team deserve it and the customers clearly love it!' Far left: Gloria The striking design of the new Robinson's aunt was visiting from Trinidad store houses a host of innovations when they heard of the for Savacentre including fresh Savacentre opening. Not doughnuts, enlarged cookshop and only were they impressed with the shop but they improved clothing sections. Proof remarked to the Journal that this, like all Savacentres, is how good were the steel much more than just a food store, band. The band from is the inclusion of a chemist, Post local Haseltine School is sponsored by the store. Office, travel agent, dry cleaners and many more concessions. The roof will soon be emblazoned with the store name for the benefit of Heathrow-bound jets.

8 JS JOURNAL AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 1995 9 • The Journal scanned the Provisions manager TAKE YOUR SEATS TO VIEW THE Dominique Kent of Sevenoaks. systems, surfed Information at the speed of light the Internet and studied As computers become more powerful, and more information is flowing around the company, the links between PERFORMANCE the soundtrack to bring terminals, and between terminals and mainframe, are straining with the load. One of the less visible but more A new computer system in an easy to use and easy to learn format is set to revol- important improvements in technology is the new £25m fibre optic corporate network. Computers in stores and utionise information management in the stores. you the latest tech- offices are currently linked to each other and the mainframe via copper wires. In July, Camden became the first The two in-store Retail Management Information Systems store to be linked to the network via fibre optics. By the middle of next year all stores will be connected by the fine nology developments (RMIS; pronounced 'reemiss') help managers sort glass cables which can carry information SO times faster than before. Andrew Votes told the Journal, 'Sabre set for the Group. information quicker and more easily. The rollout of the the demise of the old network since the software was designed with the limitations of speed in mind. With further next phase of the SABRE MIS begins on September 10. The software improvements the new network will even be able to carry video images direct to stores.' other package - Labour Costs - starts mass roll out to stores the following month, with other MIS systems planned for stores in the future.

STUDY WITH SOUND AND VISION

The old Branch Training System is to multimedia what an abacus is to a calculator.

So what does a Store training is about to enter the 21st century as new ii ..I. in. Queries Window Help management information Webbed feat system do in JS? Previously, powerful multimedia PCs are distributed to every district managers had to wait for over the coming month- Sound and video are combined in Simply take ... a pc, a modem and a subscription to an The popular image of the Internet user as an 'anorak' figures from head and area Internet service provider, and you can buy JS wine in - a coffee-swigging young male hacker hunched late into offices relating to the SABRE an interactive training package that staff can work through BarclaySquare! the night over his keyboard - is incorrect, according to a = ordering system or to at their own pace. Not only is multimedia a lot more fun, In February, JS boldly went where no food retailer recent NOP survey. In fact, some 38% of Internet users are IH.99 5.5*3 25^ IBS 77 labour costs. They then 5.226 25J_ 103.41 research has shown speed of learning, understanding, had gone before, by establishing a presence on the over 35, and a third are women. Perhaps less surprisingly, 7S5 E«B PTO.COI Ril 4.844 n(« had to wade through piles Internet as part of a project carried out by the JS technical they tend to be fairly prosperous and to read a certain pink of computer print-outs and PenodOSM Pro*icBvityFaiJiH(GBnenc). Ge Actual V Budget. Pmiod 4. 1IV, and the amount remembered can be half as much again infrastructure (Tl) department. The initial offering consisted newspaper - over 20% of Financial Times readers use the try to visualise the patterns of several pages of illustrations and text, packed with such Internet. and trends. This would as traditional methods. useful information about the company as branch However, it would be wrong to think of the Internet then hopefully reveal Each district will soon have one IBM Pentium 90 addresses, financial details, recent press releases and JS as exclusive. Katharine St John-Brooks, senior manager. 'exceptions' - blips in the history. It proved extremely successful. 'We've been well Consumer Direct, who chairs the group set up to manage trends - so they could react computer with CD-ROM drive (the packages work from CDs chuffed' says Tl's Paul Jennings, technical consultant who JS's Internet site, says: 'We're very excited about this new to potential problems. just like music compact discs) and software packages was involved with the development work, 'with the street communication medium, and particularly about the rate at Now they have, at their cred that our initial experiment brought us - we've had which it is catching on. In just one month, 20,000 people fingertips, computer tools in the form of MIS to present the covering topics like Leading Teams, Produce Recognition several companies requesting permission to reproduce accessed the JS home page - the introduction and 'index'. figures graphically on the screen in seconds. and, shortly, a meat training package. our Internet pages in magazines and brochures to show Our Internet offering puts us at the forefront of shopping You don't have to be Einstein to use RMIS. But the how it should be done.' technology, and we have lots of plans for expanding our user can be their own Sherlock Holmes. You can present Mike Povall of retail training and resourcing raves It isn't just the technically-minded who've been offer. Watch this (Cyber)space!' the information at different levels of detail and compare about the new system: 'The system engages all your impressed. The addition of the Wine Direct home delivery factors to investigate ways to improve a department's service made JS the first UK food retailer to offer goods for performance, such as spotting increases in spending on senses and is user friendly even for the computer illiterate sale on the Net and brought JS a great deal of positive How to get connected overtime and exploiting opportunities for sales growth. like me. You are allowed to learn from mistakes. It is also publicity. Martin Wright, Tl senior manager, comments Explains project manager Sean Farmer, 'We are trying to 'We're very proud to be leaders in the application of this All you need to access the Web is a personal computer get away from paper based reporting to give management fun, especially when staff work in small groups. In the (minimum 386 processor); Window environment; a World new technology and, of course, with the reception it has the tools to investigate the root causes of problems.' future we expect multimedia to become a key vehicle for received.' Wide Web Internet browser; a modem with a minimum Comments like 'it's wonderful', 'it will save me hours' Armchair wine buffs can choose from a current capacity of 14.4K bits per second and a subscription to an and 'it's very simple' come thick and fast from manage- training.' range of some 40 wines, and an exciting new autumn Internet service provider. With that little lot, you can use the ment that have used the Labour Costs system. One of the selection was being finalised as the Journal went to press. Web to wander into university libraries all over the world, reasons that this system is so user friendly is the constant The Web, as aficionados call it, is a part of the explore virtual vineyards and even admire the pictures in the consultation that has taken place between end users and Internet that can display graphics and pictures, in contrast Louvre. the project team. South Western regional services Virtual shopping to the rather dull all-text pages of other parts of the Net. manager Geoff Truscott has been involved from an early This makes it particularly suitable for home shopping. The JS's Internet address is http://www.j-sainsbury.co.uk. stage: The project team have talked to the users not just JS offering, for example, includes pictures of wines and BarclaySquare, the UK's first virtual shopping mall, offers once but continually.' maps of their places of origin. Users may jump between access to Wine Direct, as well as to other retailers including The system has the flexibility to accommodate many different pages and related subject areas in order to Toys R Us, Argos and Blackwell's bookshop. If that's not more management information systems in the future, investigate them more deeply. sufficient, you can book a ticket on Eurostar for a spot of real- customer service figures from CARES for example. The range of information offered on JS's Internet site life cross-channel shopping! Eventually, users will be able to see an overall picture of the is growing all the time. Recent additions include a map store's performance at a glance. giving a guide to facilities at each JS store, ISO job If you have access to the Web, the JS Internet group would like to hear from you via the feedback option within the JS advertisements and the Annual Review. An electronic The next Journal will be checking out the virtual pages. How user-friendly do you find the JS web offering? recipe book has proved particularly popular, with over store at Salford. A JS experiment with virtual Which pages do you use most? What other information or 6,500 users a week, from as far afield as Japan and South reality is opening technological doors into the services would you like to see on the Web? America, surfing for recipes such as Lobster Thermidor. future of shopping and store design.

JSJOURNAL AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 1995 13 The main attraction They're a wild bunch at London's free-ad paper. He called week compared to neighbouring District manager Mike Wnitechapel. Customers were a few people advertising bikes for stores' figures of between five Goodman's Penny Back bowled over when they first sale and asked if they would loan and fifteen cases.' In memory of a son caught sight of the Indiana Gold their bike to the store. 'It was in In addition to the in- presentation on July 1 was no ordinary JS donation. promotion during July. Parked place for three weeks,' he said, store promotion, the branch right in the middle of the foyer 'and we had incredible sales on also ran a competition in the Almost £15,000 was raised by the was a 1976 Harley Davidson Indiana Gold. For the two lines, local fast London district's fundraising activities and Sportster motorbike we were selling 60-80 cases a Advertiser giving away Penny Back donations for the John surrounded by cans and five cases of Penfold Memorial Fund. John was bottles of Indiana Gold. Indiana Gold as stabbed to death attempting to Services deputy Steve prizes. stop a thief at the London Meechan decided to catch Woolworth's where he worked. Tickled to eat you his customers' attention by His father Mick Penfold is deputy The opening of East Prescot store manager at Hampton store creating an Ail- Road's new Shopper's the Journal, 'This will be a memorial American theme: and his mother Madeleine works Restaurant was a tattifalarious to John if at a great cost. It is stars and at Kingston JS. event when local celebrity Ken amazing how we collected so much. stripes, beer The money is going towards Dodd brought along his tickling an extension to the Methodist I would like to thank all my friends and that bike. stick. Ken, who joked with and colleagues, especially Mike He found the church to which John belonged. customers and staff on July 31, Goodman, for all their support.' bike by looking With other corporate donations donated his appearance fee to Ian Kay was jailed for life last through Loot, and several thousand pounds a local cancer charity. from The Sun newspaper, the month for John's murder. Kay, Left to right at the cheque presentation are Karen, Madeleine and Michael Fund has reached over £50,000 described by the judge as a Penfold with Reverend Robert Jones and Mike Goodman. and the extension is on course to psychopath, was on leave from Netbalt challenge He's been to the palace open next year. Mick Penfoid told prison when he attacked. Stand back new World Champions to see the Queen J^ Australia - here come the Alton netball team! Whitley Bay goes radio ga ga Runners-up in the 4th division Whigfield's song of the Basingstoke netball league, Debbie and Darren as Saturday Night will the Alton team have only been Minnie and Mickey. never be the same playing a year and began 'just for for staff at Whitley a laugh'. Bay after store Ten staff members train together once a week in a near-by park manager Alan and play a league game once a week as well. The team has now been Gilbert gave his promoted to the third division for the new season. own rendition of If any other branches have netball teams and wish to challenge the song live during Alton, please contact captain, Siobhan Woodcock at Water Lane on the Metro Radio 01252 718061. Roadshow. The store hosted Ice cream is good for children the roadshow Len and his wife Jessie at American Independence during the two Buckingham Palace. week customer Day and National Ice initiative Cream Week kept three Len Rudman. customer service celebrations in stores very busy assistant at Kidlington. enjoyed a June. Local DJ Lee promoting products and right royal occasion recently when Feinann presented entertaining customers. he was invited to the Queen's the show and gave At Arnold, customers Garden party on July 18 in away prizes to could buy appreciation for almost 60 years listeners and Indulgence ice of association with the Royal customers. cream cones British Legion, culminating in the Rub a dub dub for 50p. chairmanship of the Legion's An in-store 1 competition was Newbury JS took part in the yet, said a team member. Sylvia Lowe in grocery made the costumes and the Woodstock branch. But staff at Although the crew managed held for customers to nominate annual Newbury Craft Race decorations for the ice cream stall. £113,68 raised by the the branch believe that, if Len's YWK'S PARTY the most friendly and helpful along the River Kennet and this to keep the boat afloat for the venture will be donated to Children in Need. popularity with customers is year trounced arch rival Tesco's. duration of the race, once over Harpenden member of staff. Customer Staff from Newhaven's Oasis Coffee Shop anything to go by, the Queen must The team of 12 took to the the finishing line it promptly have decided that his company celebrating its 25th Birthday services manager Alan Gray was celebrated the Fourth of July by dressing up in all- water in their homemade craft - capsized. Said branch manager was just too enjoyable to miss. on August 25 nominated and won a helicopter American dress. Dawn Featherstone served a few empty oil drums and and crew member Dave Elliott, fith a dinner and dance on trip courtesy of Metro Radio. customers while dressed as Scarlett O'Hara, and Len, aged 82, has worked at the plastic tubing - to complete the The boat did a sterling job, but Kidlington branch since it opened October 7 at a local hotel. Supermarket assistants Darren colleagues Catherine Murphy. Maureen Pateman and eight mile, nine lock race along also gave us sore arms and legs in 1991 and is described by his If anyone is interested in McDonald and Debbie Arkley Valerie Waters arrived in jeans and cowboy boots. the canal. During the land dash for days afterwards.' ling along, could they plea* dressed up as Mickey and Minnie At Pepperhill Shirley Tiller, petrol station colleagues as 'the original English around the first lock, Newbury Over £4,000 was raised by gentleman'. 'I'm not', he says contact the personnel Mouse for the roadshow and assistant, dressed as Uncle Sam in an effort to draw overtook Tesco's and the race for The Rotary Club. modestly, 'one to sit around. department bv OASIS or presented children with balloons attention to a variety of products including pop corn maintained their lead to finish I really enjoy the people - telephone 01582 763558. and lollipops. and Indiana Gold. Children visiting the store were 8th in afield of 42. 'Our best given an American flag souvenir. customers and staff.' Pure Indulgence at Arnold.

16 JS JOURNAL AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 1995 17