^' Lord Sainsbury ^^retires as Chairman UNIVERSITY HONOURS LORD SAINSBURY London's South Bank University (form­ erly Polyteclinic) has conferred an honorary doctorate on Lord Sainsbury, joint President of Sainsbury's. COVER STORY The citation, which was read out by LORD SAINSBURY RETIRED Vice Chancellor Baroness Perry, at the ON NOVEMBER 2, 1992. THE JOURNAL PRESENTS A conferment of the degree of Doctor of FOUR PAGE TRIBUTE TO HIM. PAGES 15-18. Letters on October 6, included the following: 'It is in the field of education and training that we have come to know and admire Lord Sainsbury. His company is EDITOR a model employer in its commitment to YVONNE BURKE • quality training and investment. Sains­ ASSISTANT EDITOR bury's put some £30 million into training Lord Sainsbury with Baroness Perry, Vice ANDY SZEBENI last year. They employ nearly 100,000 Chancellor of South Bank University (left) EDITORIAL ASSISTANT people in the UK and last year created and Chancellor Christopher IMcLaren (right). KERRY COHEN some 3,700 new jobs, starting many CONTENTS young people on the path to sound car­ 'Lord Sainsbury has encouraged arts, eers. In particular, the company has manufacture and commerce; he has adv­ HEADLINES 2-6 been most generous to this university anced causes of design, education and OPENINGS: through prizes to students in food sci­ the environment. He takes an interest in ALTON 7 ence. We are proud that we have been the people with whom he works and the FOSSE PARK - LEICESTER 8 chosen as the national provider of train­ life around us. BYBROOK - ASHFORD 9 ing for many of the employees of this 'We wish you all the very best in your WRITELINES 10/11 huge company.' future life and concerns.' SAINSBURY'S FASHION AT SAVACENTRE 12/13 As seen on TV - the new chairman, FUTURECOOKS 14 David Sainsbury. SHARE OPTION NEWS 14 LORD SAINSBURY RETIRES 15-18 On a more relaxed note, his cousin. ENVIRONMENT UPDATE 19 Lord Sainsbury, discussed his career with 25 CLUB DINNER 19 the company and his life and interests HEALTH & SAFETY outside Sainsbury's with Sue Lawley on COMPETITION 20/21 Radio 4's 'Desert Island Discs'. Most NEW HEALTH CASH SCHEME 21 importantly, he chose the eight records SPICES FROM PARADISE 22/23 he would like to take with him to a desert BEHIND THE LINES 24-26 CHAIRMAN'S QUESTION TIME island. They reflected his interest in class­ PEOPLE 27 ical music and opera. His surprise choice NEW LINES 28/29 The new chairman, David Sainsbury, and was a Caribbean steel band recording, ARCHIVES 30/31 his predecessor. Lord Sainsbury of which, he explained, brought back happy LIFELINES 32 Preston Candover, have been under the memories of holidays. media spotlight with the change in lead­ ership and have recently had a chance to answer some journalists' questions PRINTING over the airwaves. WHITE DOVE PRES5:S 4; I David Sainsbury was interviewed by Susannah Simons, as part of Channel 4's 'Answering Back' series, on October 4. He set the record straight on a num­ ber of controversial issues that have JS JOURNAL J SAINSBURY PLC been raised about the grocery industry STAMFORD HOUSE STAMFORD STREET over recent months. Sue Lawley. LONDON SEl 9LL TEL: 071-921 666n0 HEAD LINES FLIGHTS PROMOTION IS JUST THE TICKET FOR FOOTBALLERS The Sainsbuty's/British Airways promotion is in its ninth weel< and applications have been winging their way from all over the country to the handling centre in Nelson, Lancashire. Thousands of applica­ tions have been processed to date by a team of 20 people who despatch the vouchers as fast as the receipts come in. Staff and Roy Schuster, PCC member, cuts the cake, surrounded by the customers taking advantage of the offer are as varied as rest of the committee. their choice of destination - even an entire American football team has applied. BILLION POUND CAKE A Early travellers were invited to enter a competition to win £50 of gift vouchers for the best 'travellers tales'. The On September 25 the total asset value of the Sainsbury best 50 stories could appear in local newspapers or be pension scheme topped the staggering £1 billion mark. To featured on local radio stations. mark the event, the Pension Consultative Committee cele­ The promotion is not just extremely popular with both brated with a specially designed cake, which they shared customers and staff but it has also increased trade. at their meeting at Blackfriars on October 27. NEW AWARDS MARK FIRST BIRTHDAY OF OPPORTUNITY 2000 October 28 was the first anniversary of the launch of Opportunity 2000 - a scheme promoted by Business in the Community, of which JS is a founder member, that aims to increase the opportunities for women to take on more roles and responsibilities in UK companies. Earlier in September, JS presented nine students in the retail divi­ sion with Opportunity 2000 awards of book vouchers to assist them during their university studies. These awards are part of the company's efforts to encourage more Seven of the nine Opportunity 2000 Award Scheme winners women into retail management. at their presentation with, in the baci( row, John Adshead, Wendy Godfrey, chair of the working group, com­ personnel director (middle); Judith Evans, departmental mented: 'Over the last year we have introduced a number director, personnel (second from right); Sue O'Brien and Sarah Washington (far left and right), assistant graduate of exciting initiatives, such as this Opportunity 2000 recruitment managers. Awards Scheme, and the representation of women at management levels is increasing. The working group, with representatives from across the company, will continue to PAY UP FOR PUDSEY > identify ways in which we can continue the process over the coming year.' Following the massive achievement last year in which JS staff raised £375,000 for Children in Need, the company is events. The Journal will cover as many of these as space participating in the appeal again this year by selling Pudsey will allow and reports should be sent to the Journal office Bear stickers to customers. as soon after the event as possible. The appeal will continue until November 20 when it will An additional fundraising initiative is an Employee Lucky culminate in the BBC Children In Need Show. As last year, Draw in which tickets will be sold at £1 each and UK week­ many staff are expected to stage their own fundraising ends and holidays will be given away as prizes. HEAD LINES < JS ACQUIRES ASDA BRANCH IN BIRMINGHAM An ASDA supermarket at Mere Green near Sutton Cold- field, one of the company's few food-only stores, will shortly be converted to a Sainsbury's format following its sale to JS on October 9. It is planned that all non-manage­ ment staff will transfer to JS employment. The familiar green of their uniforms and of the 34,000 sq ft store will be replaced by JS livery over a seven week conversion period, ready for the re-opening in early December of the store as 'Sainsbury's 715 Mere Green - Birmingham'. RE-DISTRIBUTION The distribution division is to be re-organised from five to four regions early in 1993. Announcing the changes, joint managing director David Quarmby stated: 'With the region­ al structure and branch liaison arrangements now well Customers arriving at the IMere Green store are informed of the changes to their supermarltet. established in distribution, the opportunity is being taken to improve efficiency by moving from five to four regions.' Next month the Journal will look at the changes in more detail. Lynne Roberts, checkout assistant at Purley Way, helps a customer to register his support for JS opening on Sunday. the form of a big white bus and accompanying display stand. The SHRC includes Sainsbury's, SUNDAY SHOPPING CAMPAIGN B&Q, Tesco and Safeway, among TOURS THE COUNTRY others. Customers have been able to Sainsbury's campaign to lobby for changes to the learn more about the issue at laws governing Sunday shopping has taken to the these events and have been given road. the opportunity to register their Sainsbury's campaign, dubbed 'We're for Sunday support on special postcards addressed to their MP. More Shopping', has visited stores up and down the country. By than 200,000 postcards have been collected to date and Christmas, virtually every JS, Savacentre and Homebase have now been sent to the MPs for the stores concerned, open on Sunday will have been visited. with an invitation for the MP to visit the store on a Sunday. The campaign is designed to help the 'silent majority' Nick Green, Sunday shopping campaign manager, exp­ of shoppers who support Sunday opening - surveys show lains: 'These postcards will be sent on to the local MPs to they outnumber those against by 2-1 - to express their illustrate the feelings of the one million plus people who views. visit Sainsbury's, Savacentre and Homebase every Working alongside the Sainsbury's campaign has been Sunday. We hope this will encourage clarification of the the Shopping Hours Reform Council (SHRC) 'roadshow' in law so customers can continue to shop on Sunday. On November 2, David Sainsbury, formerly deputy cliairman, assumed responsibility as chairman and chief executive of J Sainsbury pic, on the retirement of Lord Sainsbury of Preston Candover. In the next issue, the Journal meets the new chairman and presents a special report. Tom Vyner has become deputy chairman in addition to his responsibility as joint managing director. He joined the company in 1978 as director res­ ponsible for grocery and non-foods buying. He was appointed assistant managing director, buying and marketing, in 1986 and joint managing director in 1990.