JS JOURNAL IS PUBLISHED FOR EMPLOYEES OF SAINSBURY'S SUPERMARKETS, SAVACENTRE AND HOMEBASE

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NEWSROUND

Raising a record-breaking £500,000 for Special Olynnpics was a

massive feat and the Journal pays t r ibute to everyone who

helped raise money in this bumper summer edition. We also

preview the arrival of Microban products instore (page 28) and

report on the company's recent AGM (page 8).

If you've been on holiday and taken some great holiday

snaps why not enter our annual photo competition (page 23)

and if you're still in a holiday mood, check out the SSA bargains

on page 30.

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: Newsround

Shareholders share their views Find out v 'hat happened at this year's AGM

EUREKA! staff ideas that have been put into practice

Grown close to home How Savacentre is sourcing locally produced fruit and ve

You've been framed! How our Pictures for Schools are put together

Store openings: Reedswood and Blackheath

Out and about Your activities in and out of work hours

Writelines Letters page

16 : Going for Gold A six page round-up of all your Special Olympics

fundraising activities

22 : Pit your wits The puzzle page

23 : Get snapping Our annual photo competition

24 : What's new instore Latest product news

26 : Pamper your pets Your chancetojoinSainsbury's Pet Club

27 : Just the Job Debbie Thomson's blossoming career

28 : Bacteria: Your days are numbered! We preview the imminent arrival of Microban products instore

Competition winners

29 : Building for a better future

30 : SSA

31 : People

Sound and vision

32 : Archives JS packaging through the ages

Too many cooks - budding chefs, Lauren (front) and Kirsty Gallagher cook up a treat with celebrity chef Ainsley Harriott at the launch of our Kids in the Kitchen scheme, see page 5.

Food on your doorstep -Savacentre's new scheme to stock locally grown food, see page 9.

Jumping for joy - all the action from the Special Olympics Appeal, see pages 16-21.

Wanna be in my gang? Give your four-legged friend the purrfect present by joining Sainsbury's Pet Club. See page 26.

Coming soon to a store near you • we preview the new Microban products and the work of our Technical Division, see page 28.

M A N A G I N G E D I T O R : C l i i

E D I T O R I A L A S S I S T A N T S

D E S I G N : l l i k - i i j o iu -s

P R I N T I N G : Kt-lclia l ^ i i i u i n

is BdlTcy

: Jo i i C'.aipemei' and Caro l I l i i i d

• Co. I.d.

JS JOURNAL, J SAINSBURY PLC DRURY HOUSE, STAMFORD STREET LONDON SEI 9LL

TEL: 0)71-921 8181

E-mail JS.Journal @JS,btx400 co.uk

PRODUCED BY GROUP ^ INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS

Sainsbury's scoops olive oil award JS has won an award for having the widest range

of Italian olive oils.

Connor McVeigh at the Accademla Hallana In London.

The 31-strong range was recognised in the first super-marketing olive oil awards, held at the Accademia Italiana in London and sponsored by the Italian Trade Centre. Grocery buyer Connor McVeigh, who received the

award from the director of the Itahan Trade Centre, Cesare Gentile, said: "We're proud to have consolidated our position as the market leader and we hope to use this as the foundation for working closer with our Italian suppliers."

Homebase offers insurance discount Earlier this year

Homebase launched

Homebase Home &

Contents Insurance,

backed by five of the

UK's leading insurers.

Now all Group staff can take advantage of a 10% discount on Homebase Home & Con­tents Insurance.

Homebase Insurance includes the benefits of a year-round 24-hour Home Emergency Helpline, with up to £250 worth of emergency repairs automatically covered so you won't need to pay a penny.

Homebase also provides Garden Insurance. £52 a year will give you £3,750 worth of cover for patio furniture, ornaments, shrubs, fences.

walls, lawns and barbecues, and if you take out a Home & Contents policy too, your garden policy will cost £42.

Information about this offer has been sent to all managers so just ask for a leaflet if you haven't already received one. Or phone Freephone 0800 397 397 for a quote, giving your discount card number or staff number (found on pay slip).

IMiVIIEI HOME & CONTENTS INSURANCE

JS JOURNAL

NEWSROUND

Self scanning innovation at Kempshott Kempshott in Basingstoke has become the first British

supermarket to offer customers self scanning using radio

frequency equipment.

Once Reward Card custo­mers have registered with the scheme they simply pick up their scanner and scan goods as they shop. The scanner gives them a running total of the amount they are spend­ing. Rather than having to return the scanner to the rack at the store entrance after shopping, customers simply hand their scanners to the cashier and then pay.

In future there will be a host of other benefits. For example, the handset will tell customers the number of Reward Points they are collecting, details of special offers they may be interested in and product information. Vegetarians could, for ins­tance, have scanners telling them which goods are suitable for vegetarians or customers with nut allergies could have messages telling them when a product con­tains nuts.

The system, developed by Symbol Technologies and Nexsys Consultants, will be extended to more JS stores nationwide over the coming year and to selected new stores as they are opened.

SCAN FACTS • JS first introduced self scanning

at the Watchmoor Parl( store near

Gatnberley, Surrey, in November

1996. By March 1997 we had extend­

ed it to a further six stores: Dome

Roundabout (Watford), Burpham

(Guildford), Cobham (Surrey),

Locksbottom (Bromley), Fosse Parl(

(Leicester) and Worle (Western-

Super-Mare). All of these stores will

be converted to the new radio

frequency scanners by March 1998.

• Unlike other self scanning systems,

the radio frequency system holds

information on a central computer

with a far greater memory capacity

than an individual handset. This

enables us to store far more product

and services information for

customers to access.

• Self Scan is available at selected

stores to customers over 18 years of

age who hold a current Reward Card.

Once customers have registered,

they swipe their Reward Card at the

store entrance scanner rack to

release a handset ready for them

to shop.

• Shoppers can pack their shopping

as they go by either making use of

our 'Smartboxes' or using plastic

• When shoppers have finished their

shopping, they simply hand the

scanner over to the cashier where

a fully itemised bill is produced

automatically.

Assessors assessed

Midlands regional director Dave Smith (who retired last month) and Castle Boule­vard district manager Don Haywcird celebrated with 13 managers who have achieved the qualification needed to assess the work of staff undertaking National Voca­tional Qualifications.

Lucky 13: Dave Smith (front right) and Don Hayward (front left) with the managers.

The Living Landscape' comes alive 'The Living Landscape' is a new initiative set up between Sainsbury's and its suppliers to work closely together over the next five years to intro­duce whole farm conserva­tion, ensuring all the issues associated with good farming practice are taken on board.

'The Living Landscape' forms an umbrella for all of Sainsbury's partnership and farm assurance schemes and

brings together, for the first time, produce and meat suppliers. The programme will encourage wildhfe con­servation within commercial horticulture and agriculture, integrated crop management and good animal husbandry.

Further information on the scheme will be available later in the year through instore leaflets.

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 1997

NEWSROUND

What's for dinner? JS is sponsoring an exhibition entitled 'Wait and

See (Wiiat's for Dinner?)' at the Towner Art Gallery

in Eastbourne.

One of the paintings that wiii be appearing in the JS sponsored exhibition.

The show looks at the role that food plays in our lives and the JS store in East­bourne is holding a large instore display to tie in with the exhibition. There will

be a 'Feast Day' when customers can try out new foods and the Archives are arranging a display of JS food packaging through the century.

Size does matter!

Market research has found that most of our shoppers would prefer our range of Fresh 'N' Ready vegetable packs to contain enough food for two people instead of just one. As a result we have now increased the size of the

Bigger is best • some of the

new vegetable Fresh 'H'

Ready paclts.

vegetable packaging so there is enough to feed two hungry mouths. The range is proving popular with those customers who are keen try a variety of different vegetables without the cost or waste or having to buy the whole item.

Shopping around (about) the world

Basingstolie's mayor cuts the ribbon with

Sponsored byJS, the piece, entitled 'Shopping around the World', stands in the centre of a roundabout near the Kempshott store.

The children worked with sculptor Michael Lyons to produce ideas, which were then assessed by a judging panel that included Kemp­shott manager Mike Salmon. A selection of the ideas were shown at the store and com­ments were invited from the public. Children were then taken to the factory to watch the chosen design being made and then helped to paint it themselves.

The climax came when the children helped the mayor to officially unveil the sculpture.

heip from the chiidren of Kempshott Primary Schooi.

Graduate Finance Scheme wins quality recognition Sainsbui7's Graduate Finance scheme has been given Quality Approved

status by the Chartered Institute of Management Accounts (CIMA).

There are currently 23 grad­uates on the three year prog­ramme which gives each of them a practical insight into the world of retail finance. Graduates gain added finan­cial experience by moving around within the Group and they have to pass external exams in order to become fully qualified CIMA accoun­tants.

Group management acc­ountant Sharron Gunn runs

the scheme and was del­ighted with the CIMA accolade; "It's important that we received this recognition because it demonstrates that our scheme is one of the best and so will help us attract better graduates in the future. It's also a bonus for those who are already on the scheme because the quality distinction will enhance the value of their training at Sainsbury's." Pi^

JS JOURNAL

N E W S R O U N D

Young family fun! Sainsbury's

Sainsbury's is

helping to make life

easier for parents

with young children.

The 'Young Families' prog­ramme, now well under way, has started by offering three key activities this summer designed to make family cooking easier and help make the most of the school holidays. Family recipe cards for tasty meals that are low on effort are now instore, as are 'Kids in the Kitchen' recipe cards that aim to teach youngsters the basics of cooking (and save them from holiday boredom!).

From 24 August, there will be a series of 'lunchbox' cards, designed to help parents put fun but well balanced packed lunches together for their children. Plus, there will be alternative sandwich filling ideas that were tested on kids them­selves. Many of the ingre­dients from all the recipe cards are on special offer or carry Extra Reward points.

It's not only food that's more fun this summer. You can now exchange your Reward vouchers instantly in store for AIR MILES entry passes into some of Britain's top attractions. Alton Towers, Madame Tussauds and UCI Cinemas are just some of the participants in the scheme which runs until 13 Sept­ember - pick up a leaflet instore for more details.

Naming the way Thoughts of Sainsbury's were literally thousands of miles away as

Barbara David, secretary to the new deputy retail director at Blackfriars

was cruising along an Arizona highway on holiday in

the States with her husband and two daughters.

Suddenly the name of her boss loomed large in front of her. The road sign ahead stated clearly 'Bill Williams Avenue'. The town itself is also named Williams and Barbara commented: "This chap must have been popular because there were things named after him every­where!"

Bill said: "I'm honoured that Barbara took time out on her hols to take a snap of My Town, but just a little dis­appointed to find out that my American namesake was a famous cowboy, a trait I do not intend to emulate in my new job!"

increasing access to tiie arts for everyone

The enthusiasm with which staff participated in Sains­bury's Arts for All prog­ramme over the last two years was rewarded when JS receiv­ed an endorsement of its Arts for All programme with the presentation of a major national award for outstand­ing business sponsorship of the arts at ABSA's I996/I997 annual awards ceremony at the Globe Theatre.

The Association for Business Sponsorship of the Arts (ABSA) Awards, sponsor­ed by the Financial Times, had attracted nominations from around 500 companies with only ten awards being pres­ented. JS won the award for the category 'Increasing

Access to the Arts' for the Sainsbury's Arts for All programme. Finance director Rosemary Thorne collected the uniquely designed award from the actress Vanessa Redgrave.

Marah Winn-Moon, arts sponsorship manager, was especially appreciative of the support she received from stores. "Store staff who have been involved with Sains­bury's Arts for All over the last two years should be very proud," says Marah. "Our aim is to encourage as many people as possible - particu­larly our customers and staff -to participate in and enjoy all kinds of arts activities."

Christmas comes early!

The Journals editorial assis­tant Jon Carpenter was amused to discover a John Carpenter Street just a stone's throw from Black­friars.

Do you share your full name with a place name? Let us know, marking your envelope 'Namesake' and we'll raid the petty cash to send a bottle of champagne to the most interesting!

Bottoms up! - consumer journalists encountered this terribie twosome at Sainsbury's Christmas product iaunch in London.

It's not Christmas just yet but both Sainsbury's and Home-base have previewed their

Christmas range of products at separate press launches in London. Consumer jour­nalists were invited to see this year's ranges, with Homebase showing off elegant wreaths and candle­lit displays (as well as a bubble-blowing Santa) at the Banqueting Hall near Whitehall, London. Sains­bury's, on the other hand, raised the roof with a mock-up house party complete with 'tipsy' actors at the Royal Geographic Society in Kensington. Cheers!

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 1997

N E W S R O U N D

Chris Tarrant gives Locksbottom Side by Siders a helping hand TV and radio star Chris Tarrant dropped in to officially open a fun day

organised by tlie Plioenix Centre in Bromley, Kent.

The event raised money for the centre which caters for disabled children aged between two and five.

Staff at Locksbottom support Phoenix through Side by Side and donated soft toys, books, bottles of drink, cosmetics, unwanted gifts, home made cakes and hand crafted gifts. Sixteen mem­bers of staff attended the day and sold all the proceeds for an impressive £3,900. Sue Card, assistant provisions manager, whose two year old son is a pupil at the centre praised her fellow colleagues: "They've provided so many

donations of cash and raffle prizes. It's brilliant that we're supporting the centre and everyone's made such a fantastic effort."

What's cooking? - Trish Howard, Kieron Hyams and Sue Card do their Ainsiey Harriott impersonations.

Top prize for a load of bull Meet Sarabande Excalibur, the 17-month-old winner of Sainsbury's Super Beef Bull Competition at the recent South of England Show held

at Ardingly in Sussex. The Hereford bull, pict­

ured with Mike Wildman, senior manager of meat tech­nology (left) and Julien Pursglove, product manager, meat production systems, is excellent breeding stock and beat 16 other bulls in his class. He also competed at the Royal Agricultural Show in Stoneleigh, Warwickshire, where he won second prize in his class.

The animal is owned by Pam Noel and was shown by Robert Snelling of Reading in Berkshire, who are both regular Sainsbury's custo­mers.

Julien said: "It was good to see a traditional British breed winning against strong competition from the cont­inentals." He added that Sarabande Excalibur is "not fully grown yet, but he is quite friendly!"

oanlie. Spanswicli from Leaft4l|g|9n

Spaaw^WH

Showing off Sainsbury's has been showing off its wares at this

year's Royal Show at Stoneleigh, Warwickshire.

Our stand at the four-day show included cookery dem­onstrations, product sampling and displays, plus the launch of our 'Living Landscape' scheme (see page 3). JS buyers were on hand to meet customers and answer ques­tions, and there was a live Business TV broadcast by

chief executive Dine Adri-ano and a visit by Agriculture minister. Jack Cunningham.

Customers visiting the stand seemed impressed: "It's very good, and very well laid out," said Mrs Robertson from Coventry, "I'm a great Sainsbury's fan!"

JS teams take the biscuit Some of the best bakery teams in the company were at Fanhams Hall recently to receive their awards in the first Sainsbury's Bakery of the Year Competition.

They were joined by retail director Robin Whitbread and senior representatives from each of the regions.

The awards were sponsor­ed by 18 of the instore baker­ies' raw material suppliers. Representatives from each of these companies were there to join in the stores' celebra­tions (and keep the wine flowing!!).

The atmosphere after dinner was tense, and in true showbiz style, each region's sealed envelopes were open­ed only when the awards were announced. The winners by region were as follows:

South Eastern - Hampden Park, runners-up - Pepper Hill & Crayford

Eastern - Pound Lane, runners-up - Enfield & Braintree

South Western - Cobham; runners-up - Winnersh & Kempshott

Central & Western - Dunstable, runners-up - Islington & Bridgend

Midlands - Wigston; runners-up -Mere Oreen & Northwich

Northern - Harrogate; runners-up - Shorehead & Cheadle

Andy Hooper, JS Bakeries development manager, who organised the awards told the Journal where some of the prize money is going. "Stores have chosen their own charities, including the Special Olympics and The Macmillan Trust. So it's not just the teams who should be celebrating."

Sixteen of the winners will now be going forward for the Industry Awards in October.

6 JS JOURNAL

N E W S R O U N D

We're all in on the Act! Everyone at Sainsbury's needs to know about the Data Protection Act, the law that

aims to ensure that all personal infornnation held by the company is used only for

the purpose for which it was obtained. Information is one of the company's most important assets, but careless or impro­per use of personal informa­tion could result in prosecu­tion - not just of the com­pany, but of the individual concerned. So, how can you help? Here's a few facts you need to know:

• The main principle of the act is confidentiality. It's there to protect customers and staff from potential abuse of their personal infor­mation as more and more is being stored electronically.

• Personal data of staff or customers (even just a name and address) must never be disclosed to unauthorised individuals or outside organ­isations. Even something as innocent looking as a staff schedule counts as personal data under the terms of the act, so take care!

• Personal data must be kept secure, so don't share pass­

words or leave workstations and paper files unattended. Access to data should only be on a 'need to know' basis.

• There's no such thing as Group data. Data can't be passed around between companies in the Group.

We can't do what we like with customer data. We have to specify what data will be used for and only use it for that purpose - anything else is a criminal offence!

• Information must be kept up-to-date and accurate. Data that we hold has to be rele­vant and should be deleted when it's no longer necessary to keep it.

• Customers have the right to access personal data held about them - all such requests must be passed to the Central Loyalty department at Black-friars, or data protection manager, Jillian Hardwick in Group Legal Services.

If in doubt, ask before you act. If you need more information about data

protection contact Jillian Hardwick at Blackfriars, ext 7354.

Director helps shape

Education's future

The Dearing Report into higher education funding was published last month and Judith Evans, personnel policy director, was a member of the 16-strong committee. Judith, who chaired the sub-group look­ing at governance of higher education said: "It was one of the most demanding things I've ever done. There were no easy choices to make but I'm pleased with the findings and how it's been received."

Sainsbury's employs around 25,000 students in its stores, and is a large emp­loyer of graduates so Judith's input was invaluable.

Rrnijp-widfi Here's our new regular round-up of what's been going on across the Group...

FOOTBALL CRAZY Shaw's is co-sponsoring a soccer tournament Involving a team from Walllngford, Oxfordshire against Walllngford In Connecticut.

NEW STORE OPENING The next store opening will be on 17 August. The store is the first one to be located within the city limits of Boston, actually In East Boston, five minutes from Logan International Airport.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK Site preparation work Is under way on two sites In the New York metropolitan area - New Rochelle and Nanuet (our first store west of the Hudson River and a few miles from the New Jersey state line). Estimated completion date Is late spring 1998.

HEATWAVE HITS NEW ENGLAND Due to extremely hot weather In New England, all of Shaw's stores have been practising energy conservation measures Involving the reduction In lighting by 60%. Shaw's is one of very few New England food retailers who take this kind of action.

Savacentre A HELPING HAND Galoot Savacentre recently gave 68,000 Equipment for Schools vouchers to three local schools including the Kempton Ward at the Royal Berkshire Hospital which cares for children with emotional and behavioural problems.

THAT'S SHOWBIZ! Savacentre has been filming its latest TV ad at the Shepperton

Directors retire

David Smith

Midlands regional director David Smith has retired, after 39 years with the company. There were so many mem­bers of staff who wanted to say goodbye that several leaving parties had to be arranged.

Deputy retail director Bill Williams paid this tribute to his former colleague: "David Smith, or 'DW' as he was known to all his colleagues at JS was an inspiration to those who worked for him. He believed in, and demon­strated, a 'Customer First' policy and respected and valued all his colleagues for many years before it became a part of our WEB strategy. Everyone in the Retail divi­sion, and throughout JS, will long remember 'DW'. We miss him already and wish

him and his vrife, Agnes, the happiest and longest retire­ment."

Mike Morgan

Mike Morgan, departmental director, grocery and interna­tional buying, has also retired after 15 years' service. Deputy chairman Tom Vyner told thejoumat

"I had the privilege of

working closely with Mike for a considerable period of time and I think I can safely say that he was the very best negotiator with whom I have ever worked. He also has a wonderful and charming personality, which not only is a great pleasure to relate to, but it enabled him to bring out the best in those who worked with him. His abso­lute dedication toJS, coupled with the qualities I have described, made him one of the company's most formidable assets."

Studios in Middlesex. This will be shown In selected store regions from 18 August and features members of staff from various Savacentre stores.

HEALTHY HEARTS Oldbury Savacentre has been awarded a grant for £2,000 by the British Heart Foundation to buy 24 resuscitation mannequins (22 adults, one baby and one child). These will be used to train all 850 staff at Oldbury In basic life support techniques.

GLADIATOR GOES HUNTING Hunter from The Gladiators vas at London Colney to launch Camelot's new state-of-the art lottery machine. The first and 100th customer to use the new terminal received a bottle of champagne.

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NEW OPENINGS Recent conversion stores to open Include Horsham, Ashford, Ipswich and Bridgend.

STORAGE MATTERS From 20 August, Homebase will be offering shoppers new Ideas for storage and Introducing new product ranges. You may see pictures of these items in a number of home Interest magazines Including Homes & Ideas.

SHOW SUCCESSES Homebase won a Silver Gilt Medal for their 'Sights, Scents and Sounds' garden at this year's Hampton Court Flower Show.

SAINSBURY'S BANK MORTGAGE INTEREST RAH ANNOUNCED Sainsbury's Bank has announced Its Options Mortgage Interest rate. Details can be found in the leaflets available instore.

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 1997

Shareholders share their views The Group's 1997 Annual General Meeting for shareholders was held on 9 July at the

Queen Elizabeth II

Conference Centre in

London. As well as being a

legal requirement, the

meeting gave shareholders

a chance to meet JS

directors.

In front of around 500 shareholders, David Sainsbury reviewed the year and discuss­ed plans for the future, high­lighting the fact that sales growth continues to exceed industry averages. He also pointed out that 30% of the UK population now lives 15 minutes away from all night shopping at Sainsbury's on a Friday night. An opening programme of 18 new stores and the addition of over 500,000 square feet of profit­able selling space will create more than 5,000 new jobs.

Other business discussed at the meeting was the declaration of the final divid­end on the ordinary shares of 8.8 pence per share and the re-election of directors to the board.

Results from Homebase, Savacentre, Sainsbury's Bank and Shaw's were also discuss­ed and the chairman extend­ed a special "thank you" to colleagues throughout the Group for their hard work and commitment.

During questions from shareholders, he stressed that the new management struc­ture would enable Dino Adriano to focus solely on the core supermarket business, but the Group would not ignore other opportunities.

I .J-„

Shareholders arrive at

David Sainsbury chats to shareholders.

David Sainsbury was questioned by sharelioiders on a wide range of subjects. Here is a selection:

I Q : Alcopops are causing increasing public concern. As one of the

company's objectives is contributing to the public good, can we have an

assurance that, as from today, no more alcopops will be sold in any

Sainsbury's store?

A : Vie share the public's concern about under-age drinking and we

have very tight controls governing the sale of alcohol. All cashiers

undergo training in the licensing law and have to sign a statement that

they understand the rules. In addition, we put stickers over the

barcodes that prevent alcopops being scanned and prompt the cashier

to check who is buying the product We think this is a responsible way

to handle the sale of these drinks.

I Q : Recently, Tesco opened 15 branches in the Czech Republic. Would

you be prepared to invest In some research into opening your shops in

Eastern Europe?

A : We have looked into Eastern Europe, but feel there are better

opportunities elsewhere. We don't want to spread our efforts. At this

point, we want to concentrate solely on our UK and American

operations.

I Q : The board has increased its salaries and remunerations by 20%. In

a bad year this seems a very large percentage.

A : This total is not a like-for-like comparison as the figures are

distorted by changes to the composition of the board and compensation

payments to previous directors. There were no salary increases for

directors (except for changes in individual responsibility) between

September 1995 and March 1997, and no bonuses in 1996 or 1997.

I Q: In the past year, the petrol price war had a serious effect on

company profits. What is the current situation?

A : There was a major price war last year which had a substantial

impact on petrol margins but things have improved. We are not going

to go back to previous levels of profitability but we are making low level

profit which we think will continue.

I Q : What effect will the recent budget have on company results?

A : We don't think the budget will have an enormous impact on us,

although there are some areas, like fuel, where it will.

Adrian Roebuck is delighted that

his Fresh idea has been accepted.

'H-^-'JLT

Fresh Idea

Tim Gilbert, produce manager at South Woodford, couldn't believe it when he heard that his idea had been accepted. His idea was to provide customers with disposable gloves to use when selecting potatoes: "I noticed customers were using the plastic produce bags to pick up the loose potatoes and these were then being dropped on the floor. I thought that if disposable gloves were available, customers could avoid getting their hands dirty and this would in turn cut down on excess litter." A trial is due to begin at the South Woodford store shortly and Tim will be keeping a close eye on the results.

Adrian Roebuck, services deputy at the Greengates store in Bradford, was fed up with mislaying centrally produced reports so he decided to try to solve the problem himself as he explains: "We get a lot of useful information from head office, such as briefing packs and reports, but most of these are not hole-punched which means they are difficult to file for future reference. In some cases these packs are too bulky to hole-punch by the branch. I basically suggested that all head office material should be hole-punched before it is sent to the stores.

Another paper-related problem was solved by Yvonne Ambrose, assistant customer service manager at Whitstable. She thought it would make more sense to have three copies of the customer complaint form rather than the two we have at present. Says Yvonne: "At the moment, the top copy is sent to head office and the second copy goes to the office to be entered onto CARES. A third 'reference' copy could be kept at the front end in the book, in case it needs to be referred to again in the future, either if the customer queries it or if we query it for some reason." This idea went down well at head office. Customer services senior manager, Terry Wells, said: "What a brilhant idea! Such a simple addition to the customer complaints book will make life so much easier for staff Once the current stock pile has been used up, new books will be printed which include three page forms instead of two.

Director of customer relations Mike ConoUy is pleased that ideas are now being put into practice. He told the Journal:

"Here are three excellent examples of staff ideas that are practical and good for the business. It's important that staff see that their ideas are considered seriously and the best ones are put into action. We're still on the look-out for more new ideas and as it's peak hoUday season you may have seen on your travels new services that would be a real

benefit for our customers, so keep those postcards coming in."

8 JS JOURNAL

Grown close to home

Kent has been called the Garden of England and

it's easy to see why. Fertile soil has led to a long

tradition of expert fruit and vegetable growers.

"You can easily tell a grower - it's in the genes!" says

Kit Smith, owner of Worth Packers, a firm that has

been supplying JS for 30 years.

Recendy the company has been taking part in

a scheme to supply Savacentre stores in the south

east directly with local produce, after a successful

pilot at Hempstead Savacentre. Worth Packers'

marketing manager Stuart Storton tells me why:

There's a compedtive advantage to locally grown

food. It addresses customer concerns about 'food

miles' plus the product is fresher."

Produce is delivered direcdy to each

Savacentre store daily, so the Savacentre produce

manager is in close contact with the supplier. "We get closer to the

customer," says Kit, "and we develop a rapport with the store. There's

a constant feedback loop which means any problems can be dealt

with immediately." Savacentre produce managers benefit from the

closer contact: as Sydenham's Rob George explains: "If I've under-

forecasted I can often increase the order. I can also alter delivery

schedules. It's so handy to have the flexibility." Savacentre's produce

trading manager, Rachel Buder, says there's another advantage:

"Direct contact helps store staff understand the reasons behind non

availability."

Kit enthusiastically welcomes the approach: "Savacentre is being

really proactive - none of its competitors are at this stage."

The firm's own 50-acre farm grows and packs cabbage, kale and

parsley for JS stores. There are cold storage facilities so that the 'cold

chain' can be initiated at this point. In the packhouse, parsley is

being hand packed in the familiar JS bag - 500,000 bags a year are

produced here. "We pack as near to the product being cut as

possible," says Kit. On the other side of the packhouse are cabbages

that will be in Savacentre stores the next morning, in easily

identifiable 'Produce of Kent' boxes.

I'm whisked off on a whisde-stop fact-finding tour with Stuart

"There's a

competitive

advantage to

iocally grown

food. It

addresses

customer

concerns about

'food miies' pius

the product is

fresher."

and produce procurement manager, Barry Dunn (who

has worked his way up the firm over 24 years). First is the

farm of Steve Gibson, whose family has been farming here

for three generations. We catch up with him as he's

walking his crops. A combination of warm weather and

rain has meant that the cauliflowers are maturing fast -

and timing the harvest accurately is critical. 'You're

fighting the weather from the moment you plant," he says.

The farm, with its beautifully tended house and garden is

deceptively idyllic. The wind comes straight off the sea

and snow can be heavy; tending the crop in winter can be

arduous.

All the time we're driving around, Barry and Stuart

are keeping their eyes on the fields, looking for

information about the progress of crops. Barry is in daily

contact with all the growers - he needs to know exactiy

what the supply will be in order to communicate with JS buyers.

Because of JS's centralised distribution network

it's difficult for Sainsbury's Supermarkets to operate a

similar scheme, although trials are taking place with

locally sourced potatoes in some areas. Instead,

labelling is being made clearer so customers can see if

a product comes from their area.

Final stop is the farm of Jack Clifton and his

daughter Nicky to see Iceberg lettuce harvested. It's

an impressive, slick operation. Cutters walk in front of

a purpose built rig. Lettuces are placed on the belt and taken inside the

rig where a team of packers trims, wraps, labels and crates the lettuces -

within minutes of cutting. The lettuces that I'm watching will be on

Savacentre shelves the next morning!

Rachel Buder says that locally grown food is a hit with the

customers: "Stores are seeing a good uplift in sales." There are plans for

the future - a successful scheme for selling limited supplies of local,

traditional apples will be repeated in more stores this year. "We're

trying to get more soft fruit lines in like strawberries and currants. This

is an excellent way of differentiating ourselves from our competitors."

(see cartoon p. 22)

Below: Kit Smith shows off locally grown white cabbage.

An Iceberg lettuce rig at work. The lettuce Is packed, labelled and crated within minutes of being cut.

JS parsley Is hand packed and

crated.

P l ^ ^ l ^

1, -j^^^^^^B

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 1997 9

You've been framed!

Remploy's Medway factory in Kent, where the pictures are framed.

Set up in 1945 to provide

jobs for people with

disabilities, Remploy

now has 95 factories

nationwide. Over the last

four years, Remploy

« workers in Kent have

••^Pamed over 30,000

prints for the

^ Sainsbury's Pictures for

~ Schools scheme. This

" year they're framing

another 4,800, so the JS

Journa/travelled to Kent

to find out more.

No hangups - a Remploy worker fixes the hanging cord.

Remploy workers, many with disabilities such as

deafness, epilepsy and learning difficulties, have framed

every one of the many thousands of pictures which have

been given to schools.

ne of the first things you notice on entering the

Medway factory of Remploy Manufacturing

Services is a large, framed picture by Edgar Degas.

The picture depicts a 19th century, Parisian cafe

interior in rich blues. It's hard to imagine a scene

further removed from the high-tech electronics factory where

around 100 Remploy people are working on mobile phone

parts, printed circuit boards, heat lamps and coundess other

20th century wonders.

Degas and the factory do, however, have a strong

connection. It was established some four years ago when the

painting was among the first to be selected for the Sainsbury's

Pictures for Schools scheme. The prints were all framed at the

factory, marking the start of the highly successful partnership.

Remploy workers, many with disabilities such as deafness,

epilepsy and learning difficulties, have framed every one of the

many thousands of other pictures which have been given to

schools since.

Manager of the Medway factory, Ralph Earnshaw, believes

working on the pictures has

so that some of its Kentish

workforce could have a few

weeks away from their

normal duties in the

electronics shop. The

choice is a commercial one,

as arts sponsorship manager

Marah Winn-Moon explains:

"In the first year of the

scheme we approached

several frame makers and Handle with care - the pictures are packed.

Southwold (1937) by Stanley Spencer City of Aberdeen An Galleiy Sc Museum Collections. © Estate of Stanley Spencer 1997. All rights reserved DACS.

developed the artistic tastes of

many of his team: "By and

large, it's the more modern

ones people here go for. Like

the one this year by Spencer

(the pebble beach at

Soutiiwold). We can all

remember going on a beach

like that. By looking at it that

way, people get a better grasp

of our national heritage and

how different the culture was

in the past."

But Remploy was not

chosen to frame the pictures

asked them to tender for the contract to mount and frame the

pictures. Railings Gallery in New Cavendish Street (London)

developed a unique frame, specially for JS. They also invented

special equipment to help Remploy workers with the assembly of

the frames. They won the contract and have worked with us on

the sponsorship every year since."

Eric Sander, a partner in Railings Gallery, believes his

decision to use Remploy to frame the pictures was one of his

best: "We use them because they do such a good quality,

competitive job every time. If we're chosen for Pictures for

Schools next year, we'll have absolutely no doubts about going

back to Remploy."

Isabella (1848) by Sir John Everett Mitims Natural Museums 8c Galleries on Merseyside

10 JS JOURNAL

O P E N I N G S

Opening date: 24 June, 1997

Address: Reedswood Way,

off Stephenson Avenue, Walsall, West

Midlands WS2 8XA

Opened by: Chief executive Dino Adriano

Store manager: John Dodd

Project manager: John Keating

Staff: 386 (305 new jobs)

Sales area: 34,100 sq. ft (3,168 sq.nn)

Car park: 508 spaces

Rachel Docherty and Parveen Jnagal show off the Smartboxes.

o o

DIno Adriano helps local children cut the ribhon.

Bakery manager Steve Biggs and Marie Ward offer a customer samples of fresh bread.

Opening date: 1 July, 1997

Address: Halesowen Road, Blackheath,

Rowley Regis, West Midlands B69 2AW

Opened by: Chief executive Dino Adriano

Store manager: Tracey Sherwood

Project manager: Henry Grala

Staff: 185 (170 new jobs)

Sales area: 16,250 sq. ft (1,509 sq.m)

Carpark: 162 spaces

Come dancing! Percy the petrol pump proves he's a smooth mover with Jean Shepherd.

Chief executive Dino Adriano with Mary (left) and Doris, the first two customers.

o Andy Insley puts the finishing touches to the apple display.

Heather and Mick Morgan with Heather's mother Eva.

Reedswood Ree(Jswood is Walsall's second store, and several staff have transferred from the smaller store in the town. The first customer in the queue was John McKenny, who admitted that he was there by mistake: "I thought it opened at 8.30am not 9.30am!" he said. But his wait was rewarded when an hour later, after loca schoolchildren had helped Dino Adriano to cut the ribbon, the store opened to the jaunty sound of jazz band Jazz Magic.

Blackheath Blackheath store, despite opening on a day that felt more like autumn than sum­mer, still managed to attract a queue that stretched right around the building. The old JS store in nearby Halesowen closed in 1992, and among the first customers to Blackheath were two former staff, Heather and Mick Morgan. The couple met at

the store when Heather worked on the bacon coun­ter and Mick was training as assistant manager at Kings Heath. They got mar­ried two years later and celebrated their 25th wedd­ing anniversary just before the new Blackheath store opened.

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 1997 11

O U T A N D A B O U T

Lewisham is tops rrpoS

staff at JS Lewisham came top

out of 80 stores when

customers who shop at The

Riverdale Centre in Lewisham

were asl ed to nominate the

store they believed deserved a

Customer Service Award.

"This is an accolade from our

customers that the

improvements Sainsbury's is

bringing to customers' care

are worl<ing in Lewisham," said

the then store manager, Tracey

Simon. "Staff in the store are

determined to put the

customer first and improve all

aspects of our service." Staff

decided to forego the chance of

a champagne prize, instead

donating the cash to the

Special Olympics Appeal.

Canteen staff at Oldham took

the recent bout of customer

instore promotions to their

kitchens, turning the normal

working week into a cosmopoli­

tan celebration. 'Boring old

Tuesday' became an American

Day, complete with flag banners,

burgers and French fries.

Wednesday was transformed

into an Italian Day with

minestrone followed by pizzas

and pastas galore, and then

there was the Chinese Day with

everything except the chop­

sticks. The canteen ladies all

agreed it was hard work, but a

lot of fun and tasty too!

Smiling on the summit staff at Homebase in Ayr, Scotland, scaled one of the

highest mountains in Ireland to raise money for

ChildLine, the company's charity this year. Five

members of staff, including Steve Frew who talked his

mum into coming along, puffed their way up the 2,800

ft to reach the summit of Goats Hill.

"None of us are seasoned climbers," says Lynn

Reilly, an administration assistant at Ayr, "so it only

seemed worthwhile once we reached the top and saw

the magnificent view." The group raised £482 for

ChildLine. City high flyers Six students across the Group recently completed their

management MBA at the City University. "They are the largest and

most successful group of graduates thus far," says Andrew Tanner,

development programme adviser. Their achievements included two

distinctions and one directors' recommendation, all obtained while

working full-time. "They did exceptionally well," says Andrew, "I am

especially pleased that there were so many graduates." The MBA

course, which lasts up to three years, is a combination of courses

and business projects.

Cambridge memories?

NVQ success Members of the management

and district teams in David

Robb's district in the

Northern region have

qualified to be asses,s()rs and

internal verifiers for KVQs.

Skye's the limit Steve Quayle, store manager

at Homebase Crayford raised

more than £400 when he

completed a sponsored climb

of the Caiillin Ridge on the

Isle of Skye. The money will

be used to buy safety

equipment for youngsters

who complete the Duke of

Edinburgh Award.

From pier to eternity Bexhill store manager Simon

South and assistant reception

manager Brian Hill walked

the 26 miles between

Eastbourne Pier and Hastings

Pier on 2 July. The marathon

walk took four hours to

complete and the duo raised

£206.50 for the Special

Olympics.

Hand it to them Staff at Hedge End decided

to mark National Food Safety

Week by organising a

competition for local school

kids. Assistant customer

serxice manager, Carole

(x)rnclius explains: "The

local council was running a

health promotion about

handwashing and we decided

to donate some vouchers as

prizes. Children had to draw

picUires about bacteria and

germs which were judged by

the local environmental

health officer. The winning

picUire was drawn by a pupil

at the local Botley Primary

School who used the JS

vouchers to buy new' books."

Do you have memories of the Sidney Street, Cambridge stores? If so, the Archives would like to

hear from you. Please ring Bridget Williams or David Stevens on 0171-921 8200, or write to

Sainsbury's Archives, Stamford House, Stamford Street, London SE1 9LL.

JS JOURNAL

O U T A N D A B O U T

Sainsbury's supports Rams Sainsbury's has announced an exciting new sponsorship deal which will help nurture more young sporting talent. Rams Soccer Academy was launched two years ago by Derby County Football Club director Stuart Webb and has grown from its initial five centres to 20 across Derbyshire. The joint venture over the next three years will enable a large number of primary schools to benefit from the academy.

Baby boomers

Kate Mesquita, personnel manager at Water Lane in Farnham, has

administered more maternity leave in the last six months than in

her last eight years with the company.

Nine members of staff have produced bouncing babies within

the last six months, much to the amusement of staff who have not

yet been hit by the maternal tide of broodiness. Store manager

Jenny Sumner bravely asked all nine mums and their tots to the

store for a photo call, much to the delight of customers passing by.

Getting into the spirit Team days, which encourage

Homebase managers to get to know

each other better and build a sense of

unity, are being run by Homebase's

management training and

development department.

The events take place over two days at various locations, such as Fanhams Hall,

and are specifically designed to meet the needs of the region. The managers are put

through their paces with one and a half days' exercise followed by half a day focusing

on regional business objectives.

"The exercise emphasises the need for teamwork by recognising the need to work

closely together and overcome any stumbling blocks," says Steve Walker, a

development officer at Homebase in Wallington.

n Penny Worman was told not to

look down when she

approached the edge of the

building she was about to

abseil down. But she couldn't

resist a small peep and admits

"that was the worst thing I

could have done and I was

completely shaken after that."

But it did not stop her from

stepping off and she

successfully completed her

abseil to raise £260 for the

Imperial Cancer Research Fund.

One small step for man, one giant leap for Kempston A pact made by nine members of staff at Kempston a year ago was realised recently when all of them jumped 2,500 ft to raise £1,000 for the Marie Curie and McMillan charities.

Judith Williams, a checkout replenishment assistant, took it one step further and jumped from over 14,300 ft in a tandem jump with her son. The team is now so hooked, they plan on doing a second jump!

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 1997 13

ye your say

/

DOES IT PAY TO ADVERTISE? Mrs Anne Evans, veteran, Gloucester: Although retired to lovely Devon, I still like to hear news of JS and its financial results etc. so I was a little surprised to see a full page advertise­ment regarding 'Foul play from Tesco' in this week's Kingsbridge, Salcombe & South Hams Gazette.

Unfortunately our nearest Sainsbury stores are approx­imately 20 miles in either direction - Plymouth or Barn­staple or Torquay, and I doubt whether the Gazette reaches these areas. I should be inter­ested to know how much is spent on advertising. I have always been of the opinion that the average shopper visits their nearest super­market whether it be Asda, Tesco or whatever. In my case, Somerfield is the only super­market in Kingsbridge. There­fore I consider this advertise­ment to be rather extravagant. I remember the days when Sainsbury's name and quality needed no TV or newspaper advertising; surely this is an area where savings could be made. I'm sure the average shopper would rather have more checkouts manned than see a glossy advert.

Mike Gardner, head of local branch support, replies: / am glad to see that you are happily retired in South Devon, despite not being able to shop at Sainsbury's! However, you raise a very interesting point about the distribution of local newspapers.

Your local paper is part of a larger group. South Hams Newspapers. Circulation ex­tends to the borders of Plymouth in the west To the east, the group is the only series of newspapers covering Totnes, part of the catchment of our new store in Paignton.

South Devon is not densely populated and a large super­market must draw trade from an extensive area if it is to be a success. We know that the average shopper does not necessarily visit his or her nearest supermarket. Local advertising has a vital role to play in promoting awareness of the location, together with the facilities on offer The aim Is to stimulate trial of the store. If the customer likes what he or she sees and the offer is better than they have been used to, then we should make a convert.

In the 1990s, food retailing is a very competitive business. Rest assured that we do not use advertising as a substitute for customer service, but use it to attract new customers or retain existing ones. Manning checkouts Is a customer service issue and we neglect this at our peril.

From your letter it app­ears you have missed the Paignton store opening last November. It may be too far from Kingsbridge for a weekly shop, but perhaps you could arrange a visit once a month. I am confident It will be well worth the visit and who knows, change your opinion of Devon from lovely to glorious?

TELEPHONE MANNERS Irene Yoong-Henery, assistant regional accountant. Midlands regional office: I work in the Midlands regional office accounts department and often have to phone around for all sorts of inform­ation on behalf of the stores.

Recently I have found that JS seems to be installing more and more answering machines in Blackfriars departments and even district offices seem to be using them too. I feel this is going the wrong way as most people hate talking to machines because it loses the

I

Thanks for everything Richard Fox, veteran, Kettering:

Unfortunately, owing to a medical condition, my time

with the company has come to a premature end.

After 21 years, mostly enjoyable ones, in the

numerous branches I have had the pleasure of

working in, I felt the need to express my thanks to

many of your staff and management for the support

you gave me during this period of time. Thank you all

and best wishes for the future.

Customers come first on their 55th anniversary

Louise Riley, senior assistant, JS restaurant,

Lancaster:

The staff at Lancaster surprised two of our

favourite customers recently on their 55th wedding

anniversary. Because Robert and Doris Houston visit

the store often, we've got to know them quite well.

Recently they let slip that they would be celebrating

their wedding anniversary this month. We couldn't

let the occasion pass without some kind of

celebration, so we arranged a little surprise for

them and presented them with a bottle of

champagne, a card and a bouquet of flowers. Just

the look on their faces was enough reward for all

our clandestine planning. The staff wish them many

more happy years together.

Pictured with Mr and Mrs Houston are (l-r) Julie

Jury, Debbie Holmes (both JSR assistants) and

Sandra Starbuck, senior JSR assistant.

personal touch, and the caller never knows when his or her query will be answered. And I always suspect that the person I'm trying to speak to is actually there but is too busy or not inclined to answer the phone. Since JS has been stressing customer service in the past few years, and I am an internal customer, I certainly do not believe it is good service to get a machine to answer the phone.

Keith Jordan, manager, group telecommunications, replies: Telephone answering mach­ines have over the years become part of the office like the PC but unlike the PC, they have not been used as well as they should be. JS has been installing answering machines In various offices to assist staff in the way they perform their role. When used correctly they provide a means by which a caller can leave important messages knowing that they will get a response. It is essential that users of answer­ing machines adopt the

following rules: - only use the answer

machine when you are out: - ensure that the message

is current (i.e. tell the caller where you are and who to contact in your absence, giving a number);

- take the messages off as soon as you return.

This month we are install­ing a new telephone system at head office, and as part of this we will be progressively intro­ducing voice mail to the comp­any. This is a more personal system than an answering machine but again it relies on good disciplines, therefore we will be giving the appropriate training as it is introduced.

THERE'S ONLY ONE MICROBAN Bill Cooke, safety adviser, northern region: We are promoting Microban as an exclusive line to Sains­bury's and we are supposed to

i

infRITELINES

have the rights to its use. How Is it then that the Sunday Express was advertising a reader offer of two chapping boards with a built in anti­bacterial ingredient. It is true that they did not mention Microban by name, and that it is always possible that there is another product the same, but does this not dilute our promotion line?

Warren Scarr, customer planning manager, marketing planning, replies: We are very familiar with the boards being advertised in the Sunday Express. However, while they claim to offer anti­bacterial protection these boards are nothing to do with Microban. They are based on a totally different technology. Longer-term, we quite expect there to be a number of copy­cat products making anti­bacterial claims. When we support the launch of the products with advertising in September, one aim will be to make sure customers under­stand this and make the point that Microban is exclusive to Sainsbury's.

SERVICE WITH A STYLE? Mrs Jan Merricks, checkout replenishment assistant, Maidstone: After reading the article in the June Journal about the making of the uniforms, I was wondering if it is because men choose them that you changed our colours and came up with such dull and drab ones?

We used to stand out as being JS workers and proud of it, but now we look like a lot of other shop staff. I know the uniforms have to wear well but the ones we wear do not and are not comfortable.

If Marks &Spencer use the same suppliers and can look smart, why can't we? With all our new advertising about fresh ideas surely you could come up with something fresh for our uniforms; the ones we wear now do not do justice to JS.

Paul Cootes, senior manager, consumables, replies: When the current uniform was designed five years ago, there was a consultative committee with staff representatives from every region of the retail division present at every meeting. This committee was predominantly made up of women and the decision on colour, fabric and garment style was made by them. The article concerning the uni­forms was relevant to the quality of the garments being

made, not the design and style of the current corporate clothing.

As mentioned in the notes from the last staff council, the process of reviewing the current uniform is under way with complete involvement of all staff councils throughout the retail division.

HARD WORK ON HARDWARE Philip Crook, veteran, East Sussex: I was interested in the article in the March JS Journal concerning hardware goods in JS branches. When we opened Oxted branch in October, 1937, we sold a limited number of hardware items. Whenever a customer asked for a hard­ware item it was quite a performance. The grocery assistant would go to the office, collect the key then walk through the warehouse behind the office, down the stairs to the basement ware­house to a spot under the grocery counter where a small cupboard contained mainly toilet soap, shoe polish and soap powders. The assistant would select the required item, lock up the cupboard, return to the grocery counter, leaving the key at the office and continue to serve the customer. Imagine what was said, under the breath, about the customer who changed her mind or decided to have another item, while the assistant told her 'Certainly, madam!' Very different to today's hardware depart­ments!

BOWLED OVER June Hooper, Bridgette Haste and Pauline Hugo Prtsea dell: Have any other deli counters had such a lovely response to the new deli bowls?

We have had so many customers and staff alike commenting on them. They all ask the same question: 'Can we buy them?' We at Pitsea deli wondered if Sainsbury's could come up with some way for customers to obtain the bowls

perhaps by exchanging Reward vouchers for them; or maybe a ticket or token could be given for every £5 spent at the deli, and a bowl could be given once a certain number of tokens had been collected.

We put this to our mana­ger and he thought it was a good idea, so we hope head office thinks so too.

Sam Dickson, deli operations manager, replies: Thank you for you comments and ideas with regard the new deli salad bowls. We are plea­sed to say that we have had various responses to all the summer equipment launched this year Most have been posi­tive, and we are reviewing the best ways we can update and improve the equipment Your idea of offering customers the salad bowls by coupon or Reward voucher is an excellent one, which we shall progress. Unfortunately, we had a set amount of bowls manufac­tured for the roll-out and so we cannot offer the bowls to customers at this stage.

Any feedback, positive or negative, is really appreciated by the head office deli team, so please continue to let us know what you think, so we can make sure we are the custo­mer's first choice for deli.

JS puts the tea in Tenerife

_ I

.%? Thomas Scally, evening shift, Upton

WIr ra l :

This is a photograph of me pointing to the sign I

saw on the pavement of a high street when I

was on holiday recently. The giant cliffs in the

background are a clue to its whereabouts in

Tenerife, where the resort is located.

I was delighted to find a small cafe serving

real Sainsbury's tea. The cafe, called the Copper

Kettle, Is located in the most beautiful resort of

Los Gigantes. The proprietor of the cafe tells me

that his customers, some of them British expats

living in the resort, do prefer to have a tea they

can really rely on as being a good cuppa.

Just goes to show that Sainsbury's reputation

for good food is known around the world. I can

certainly say with confidence that Sainsbury's

teas are the best.

Hav

First aiders rescue colleague's mum-in-law

Eric Wray, dr iver , Buntingford depot:

I would like to thank, through the JS Journal, the staff at Chingford (Hall Lane)

store for the first aid and comfort given to my mother-in-law, Mrs Dorothy Edwards,

who collapsed at the checkout on Monday 23 June.

Dorothy had a stroke and was taken to Whipps Cross hospital and is now making

a slow but steady recovery. With the help and assistance of Linda Irvine and Keith

Taylor, the first aid staff, she was able to remain calm and stable until the

ambulance crew could take over. My family and I would like to thank everyone

involved with this incident and hope it's not too long before 'Dibby' can push her

trolley around Sainsbury's again.

Do you have anything to

get off your chest?

This is your chance to

voice your opinion and

ask any questions you

may wish to put to

management. Ideas are

also very welcome!

Please write or e-mail

to the address on

page two, marking your

letter "Writelines".

n

A BIT OF ARGY BARGY

Staff from John Hayler's district

y - squeezed into a canal boat to complete their

stage of the Special Olympic torch run along the Grand Union Canal. Three boats left Islington Lock at 9.30am and picked up more passengers en route at Camden and Greenford, before arriving at Cowley Lock at 7pm. Photo: Daniel Martin

The torch run from Sheffield to Portsmouth inspired sres to come up with some very unusual and ingenious

means of carriage - on the back of a tractor, a fire sngine, on a canal barge, by roller skates, on a bed, by

parachute and even on the back of a 5 ton tank! Six intrepid runnej;^ ffom JS, representing each of the six

regions, accompanied the torch - seen here at the start of the Journey - over the whole distance from

Sheffield to Portsmouth. Hang on to your torches as we take a quick tour of who went where and what

mode of transport that used. I iAmi""""

MIOIANO

ONEHUNWED

••118 1 I.- I. -

7 • #

GIANT STRAWBERRY GIVES ARCHER ROAD A LIFT

Archer Road's runners were

-«- given a helping r~| hand by ' ' Grimsby police

before they set off on their run, raising £2,770 for the Special Olympics.

ur distibiUty, it can li4U is why I Uiink iffiese

Tony Banks, Sports Minister

It's been another marathon fundraising effort as thousands of staff up and down the country hel

highlight every event, but here's a whistle stop round-up of some of the more weird and wonderfi

16 JS JOURNAL

SAINSBURY'S

ABERDEEN GET ON THEIR BIKES

Richard Lyell, one of six staff who each cycled a leg of the 114 mile trip between Aberdeen and

Kirkcaldy (the longest leg of the torch

run), is seen here crossing the Tay

Bridge. In total, the store raised £965,

and the "knackered" six unwound in the

pub afterwards.

BARNSTAPLE HIGH FLIERS GIVE IT A WHIRL

The fundraising team from Barnstaple completed their leg of

the torch run by catching a lift in an RAF chopper. Liaison

officer, Julie Dennis called the fellas at nearby RAF Chivenor

^1 /^ and asked if they had any space in one of their helicopters.

I I They agreed and flew the Barnstaple torchbearers, Jane

' ' Adamson and Sharon Bennett, the 35 miles to the next store in

Taunton where they were met by staff dressed up as Andy Pandy, Scary

Spice and the Blues Brothers.

TRAVELLING IN STYLE

Mountain bikes and a Mazda sports car were used to transport the torch from Lancaster store to Bamber Bridge. The team raced to a total of £2,000, taking the torch in style to Bamber Bridge.

ed to raise more than £500,000 for the Special Olympics. It's impossible to

ways you lent a hand.

/

ALL FIRED UP

Newbury store manager Andy Smith decided to help carry the torch by driving his own army tank to Reading. Provisions assistant

Steve Kennewell preferred to complete the run on foot. Organiser Charlotte Cooke said: "Passers-by couldn't believe their eyes. They were queuing just to sit on the tank." The run was carried out with military precision and raised £700 for the cause.

Andy Smith and his team prepare to make their advance on Reading.

Photo; Reading Evening Post

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 1997 1 7

FUNDRAISING FEVER HOTS UP Stores started fundraising weeks before the Portsmouth Games.

As usual, staff did some crazy things to raise money. In Colchester,

a member of staff sat in a bath of baked beans for nine hours while

colleagues at the Lewes and London Road stores formed a human

chain of 1,500.

\ < ^

1 "" 1

J t 1 c* \ ^

1 1

^ - ' •>w *^

JUMPING FOR JOY

Northern Ireland

district nnanager,

Neil Whitehouse

'•» f' successful ly

I I completed a

2,000ft parachute

junfip. To keep him company

and dispel any nerves, Neil

was joined by Christine

Pauley from Ballymena and

Cathy Agnew from

Forestside. The intrepid trio

raised a total of £170.

COME DANCING

Selby Road staff went ail-

American as the Memphis

Belles and The Mavericks

" " l — / led a sponsored line

I I dance on July 4th. Over 160

children from local

schools joined customers and staff

in the car park for a spot of musical

exercise. According to Special

Olympics co-ordinator Jayne

Elsworth, a good time was had by all,

especially when staff heard that the

total raised was over £2,000.

44 To raise this

amount of money is a

fantastic achievement

and I applaud the

efforts of everybody

who contributed to

this very worthy

cause, ^k fl|

David Sainsbury, chairman.

OUCH - A HAIR-RAISING

EXPERIENCE AT TRURO

Truro customer

services assistant

manager, Rachel Laity,

-r demonstrates a new

I style of customer

service to fellow

colleague, Sean Craxford. He had

foolishly agreed to have his back

waxed clean in aid of Special

Olympics. Store manager Patrick

Stanley couldn't escape the

attentions of the improvised

hairdressers - customer services

manager Michelle Treharne

caught up with him and plucked

his eyebrows.

Photo: Colin Ross (The West Briton)

STOCKWELL IN THE STOCKS

David Stockwell, meat manager at Thorley Wood, gets drenched as fellow colleagues help

raise over £900 during their fun weekend. Photo: Guardian/Gazette/lndependent Newspapers

'. l l' li

n

18 JS JOURNAL

n

STARS IN THEIR EYES...

TOP OF THE POPS

Five normally reserved and sober members of staff

at South Harrow threw respectability and caution to

the wind and became The Spice Boys for the day. Phil

I I Lowe (Baby Spice), Sean Harry (Ginger Spice), David

Benford (Posh Spice), Marines Constantinou (Scary

Spice) and Chris Halsey (Sporty Spice) entertained

shoppers and colleagues with some nifty dance routines

and tuneful singing. They managed to raise £512.

EDINBURGH DELIVERS

THE GOODS

Provisions

replenisiier,

I show of strength

raised a nnighty

£4,700 at Edinburgh.

GAPED CRUSADERS

Staff at Eastbourne flew

into action Batman-style

by running from

Eastbourne to New Haven -

I I in fancy dress costumes.

' ' Later on that evening they

had enough energy left to hold a

pool tournament. Both events raised

£220 for the cause.

44

— .^^

© « tmf^^

W^_^

^

/^\

r^H

wf^mM

I think the key to the Olympics is that it gives people the

opportunity to dream. That is what the Special Olympics is all about.

It gives people the opportunity to set themselves goals and have

something to work for. Wk ^ jmDando,BBCTV presenter.

DALSTON WANNABES

Not to be outdone by their colleagues at

"*•' ' ' ' South Harrow, staff at

I I Dalston did a spot of

Spice Girl impersonation

themselves. Joy Lee (Scary

Spice), Jenny Miller (Baby

Spice), Donna Garner

(Ginger Spice) Mary

Mulrooney (Sporty Spice)

and Nicola Law (Posh Spice)

helped to raise £4,500. The

five stars performed various

song and dance routines

which kept staff and

shoppers entertained.

Photo: The Hackney Gazette

BASINGSTOKE HHARinT TO THE RESCUE

Three drivers (Peter Annells, Brian Kelly, Peter

Lomas and two maintenance engineers (Tommy

Millar and Neil Braybrook) from Basingstoke

r Distribution Centre ran with Steve Rogers from

Alton JS to Basingstoke Central where they met up

with Sarah Durn and Jeni

Whitts who had dressed in

Roman attire for their ride

in a Black Maria to the

Kempshott store.

From left to right: Sarah Durn, Peter Annells, Brian Kelly, Tommy Millar, Steve Rogers, Neil Braybrooii, Peter Lomas and JenI Whitts.

n

SAVACENTRE PRAMSTERS RAISE A BUNDLE

Staff at Sheffield Savacentre really went to town with

their fundraising activities which included a grand prize

raffle, a baked bean bath, an alternative Cinderella

r pantomime, a charity football match and a disco. It was

I all worth it in the long run because they raised a

massive £4,300 for the cause. Eric Gabbitas and Andy

Jones continued the run all the way to Portsmouth and helped

light the Special Olympic flame at the Games.

Fancy that - (I to r) Maggie Knight, Sharon Buoldey and

' T * ^ Sue Thompson help to get Sheffield Savacentre's torch run off to a colourful start.

SAINSBURY'S

• Despite suffering from

chronic asthma, Monks Cross

store manager Michael Hogsden

and customer services senior

assistant Valerie Pidgeon

completed a three mile

sponsored run in just 28 minutes

and raised £176. As a precaution,

one of the store's first aiders,

Paul Dale, ran with the duo, but

in the end he was only needed to

shout encouragement and carry

the inhalers.

• Veteran Derek Flahey was

one of 1,500 volunteers who

helped with the actual Special

Olympic Games at Portsmouth:

"I enjoyed it. The weather was on

our side and the teamwork was

excellent. It was a real pleasure to

see all the athletes enjoying the

occasion and especially their

enthusiasm."

• Sedlescombe Road raised

£1,800 through their store raffle,

car wash and lorry pull.

• A bring & buy sale at

Broadcut brought in £1,050.

• The Lewes Road Spice Girls

were the highlight of a fun day

which raised £1,500.

• Trainee manager Richard

Pickett carried the torch from

Lyons Farm to Rustington store

in a recovery truck and was

greeted by pom-pom girls

dancing to disco music.

• Worcester staff raised £500 in

a sponsored walk and were joined

by two Special Olympic athletes.

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 1997 1 9

LET THE Sports minister Tony Banlts officiaiiy opened tlie Games on 12 July

amidst plenty of showbiz razzmatazz. In his speech he paid tribute to

all those who had lent their support and mentioned that the day

before he<fiad taken part in fundraising at his local JS store at

Barkingside. The opening was the prelude to five days of sporting

action and 3,600 medals were won in 16 different sports. Here's a

selection of some of the best sporting moments.

KEVIN WINS GOLD AND BRONZE MEDALS

Potters Bar produce assistant, Kevin Smiley, had plenty to celebrate when he

returned to work after the Portsmouth Games. He won a gold medal for the relay and a bronze medal for the 100 metres. Well done to

him and all the other 2,000 athletes who took

part.

It was absolutely hair-raising once the momentum got going.

It was lovely to he part of it. All the stores ivithout exception got

behind it. It was so good for morale building because teamwork was

so important. Something like this re-iterates just how many of us there

are and what we can do if we all pull together for a common aim.

Julie Dennis, district co-ordinator in Ian Elkins' district.

2 0 JS JOURNAL

^ f

1 H

44 TTiis has been a real

zmnning week for tis. Not only

urill our athletes be brining

home 3,600 medals, but

the news of an additional half a

million pounds in funds is a

fantastic boost. Financial

support like this - not to mention

the growth in awareness of our

cause - will help us to continue

to grow and keep the Special

Olympics flame burning brightly.

The Summer Games have

finished, but this is just the

beginning of a bright new era for

Special Olympics and I thank

Sainsbury 's and Savacentre

whole-heartedly. 55 Paul Anderson^ national director of Special Olympics.

LORRY LOGOS Throughout the campaign, 200 JS lorries

helped to spread the Special Olympic message

by having the logo embossed on the side of

their trailers. We don't know how many miles

they covered, but they certainly helped to

publicise our involvement throughout the UK.

J:M d: JtA^-UU-^U-H.'

ttrtif

tUAlAOA*******************

Overwhelming response :

The Journal would like to thank

everyone for sending in their Special

Olympic pictures and stories. As you

can see from the photo, we had a

tremendous response (there is a

desk underneath there somewhere!).

Unfortunately, we didn't have enough

space to feature all your stories but

we have tried our best to include as

many as possible.

SAINSBURYS 9Pe.CIAI. OLYMPICS

• Staff from Burnley did a fancy dress trek and stopped at a variety of pubs along the way, raising £2,500.

• Sunderland raised £3,000 by putting on many activities, the most energetic of which was a line dance which took place in the car park.

• Denton store manager, John McFerran, raised £300 by working at the checkout for an afternoon while Paul Waites, a pupil from a local special needs school raised £700 selling cakes made by the store canteen.

• Tammy Ward, price controller at Longwater, raised £500 after completing a sponsor­ed lone parachute jump which she had specially trained for.

• Prestwich store staff completed their torch run in an American army truck which featured in the film version of Evita starring Madonna.

• Hamilton raised £2,100 with a fun day starring the local fire brigade, who helped to transport them along their stretch of the torch run.

TOP UP PRIZES

The three districts raising the

most, and therefore receiving

top up funding from Blackfriars,

are (in descending order) those

of Stuart Carter, Eastern Region,

Peter Whitehead, Northern

Region, and Ian Tweed, Eastern

Region.

The Sainsbury's Special

Olympics Appeal created such an

atmosphere of camaraderie

among stores, districts, regions,

depots and Savacentres that a

further award is being made to

Savacentre whose substantial

contribution helped JS achieve a

grand total of over £500,000.

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 1997 21

i

Rollercoast crossword ACROSS 1.

6.

7. 8.

10.

12. 13. 14.

15.

16.

17.

18.

20.

21.

23.

26. 27.

28.

Cricketing equipment (4) Stones wliicli gatlier no moss (7) Omelette ingredient (3) Lord's cricltet ground is in tliis city (6) Long jumpers iand in one (3) Roclty liili-top To scorcli (4) Seaport and pleasure resort in Belgium (6) Town on the Isle of Wight, famous for its yachting events (5) Group which played massive concerts in Britain in the summer of 1996(5) Wise bird in 'Winnie the Pooh' (3) Continent increasingly popular with holidaymakers (6) Tom Lehman won this golf tournament in 1996 (4) Globe surmounted by a cross as part of royal regalia (3) Place frequented by holidaymakers (6) Repeating sound (4) South American ballroom dance (5) Time in prison (7)

OOWN

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

a.

10. 11. 13.

17.

19.

22.

24. 25.

'Look Back in

' , John

Osborne's ground­

breaking play (5)

Spanish dr ink of

red wine and

lemonade (7)

IWajor Br i t ish theme

park (5,6)

Where holidays

often take off (8)

Terr i fy ing theme

park r ides (8-8)

Amount of medicine

(4) Small pleasure boat

Personal coach

'Newsnight'

presenter

Steve Redgrave's

gold medal

equipment (4)

1500 metres

Olympic champion

in 1980 and 1984 (3)

Founder of the

Salvation Army (5)

23. City which is an

eternal favour i te

wi th hol idaymakers

(4) Campers' shelter (4)

Look back to a

refreshing summer

place! (4)

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Find the following 12 words in the wordsquare left and circle them:

£ 1 0 PRIZE .HUR (lASABIANCA CRIMSON TIDE

DICK SOUP GLVN'T JUR. \SS1C PARK PIAPOON

PILP FICTION SHINK TERMINATOR WEST SIDE STORY

Bar, E N T R Y F O R I V I

Wordsearch and crossword competition

Name:

Address:

Work location:

Send us your completed entry by 21 September, using th is coupon

fo r both. Photocopies are acceptable.

-roRhl l£f-r OUT oF THE CAR PARK. !*0U OWT

HlSSrr. IMtE 1HESE, ITS SEfKl RAiHli4&...

SUMMER CROSSWORD ANSWERS

ACROSS

6. Draught

10. Atlanta

7. Japan 9. Stamp 12. Gran Canaria

14. Travel agent 18. Iceland 19. Idiot

2 1 . Medal

DOWN

I.Crete 2. 4. Panama 11. England 16. Nudity

22. Beatles

Summer 3. 5. Captain

13. Cricket

The 8. Strange

15. Villas 17. Hotel 20. Sea

2 2 JS JOURNAL

Keep on trucking! Our May Archives compet i t ion to win a model JS truck proved hugely popular and generated many enquiries about where to buy the t ruck . Unfor tunate ly due to an administrative error we were unable to pick the ten lucky winners of the model. So, sorry for any inconvenience caused, but here's another chance to enter!

Lorry competition

To enter, simply identify the model lorry

from the photographs above. ,

o Please tick appropriate box

Name:

Address:

Work location:

Contact Tel No:

Send us your completed entry by 21 September. Photocopies are acceptable.

A U G U S T / S E P T E M B E R 1 9 9 7

ping! S JOURNAL PHOTOGRAPHIC COMPETITION 1997

It's time once again for tlie JS

Journal's annual photographic

competition. There's a fantastic

top prize of £200 for the overall

winner of our three categories, and prizes of JS own label print film and photo albums for the runners-

up. This is always a popular

competition and it's the one time

of the year when we look forward

to a huge postbag. Don't worry if

you're not David Bailey - we want

to see pictures that tell a story or

make us smile!

R U L E S

Closing date is 1 November and

winning photographs will be

published in December's JS

have a completed entry form

attached (photocopies are

acceptable). Pictures previously

entered in JS Journal competi­

tions will not be acceoted.

please be selective. Pro

prints with hardback envelope.

It is inadvisable to send glass

mounted slides.

entries after the competition.

Whilst every care will be taken,

we cannot accept responsibility

for lost entries so please do not

send negatives or valuable

originals.

Our categories are

1) Wacky We want to see something different, wild, or outrageous - something that's a

bit off the wall, that stands out from the crowd. It could be a party scene, a

carnival or anything that catches the eye.

2) Work Not as much fun for some, but we want to see your pictures of interesting

work scenes - maybe a child doing homework, a building site, or simply

someone enjoying their job.

3) Wonderful A beautiful sunset, a butterfly's wing in close-up, the view from a mountain

top... in fact, any of your favourite things that will take our breath away. Go

on, stun us!

You can enter as many categories as you like, but make sure you complete

the entry form below. Good luck!

PHOTO COMPETITION E N T R Y FORISA

Full Name:

Job Title:

Location:

Contact Tel No:

Category:

Entries should be sent by external post to: J Salnsbury pic, JS Journal, 9th Floor, Drury House,

Stamford Street, London, SE1 9LL, to arrive no later than 1 November. Please mark your

envelope 'Photo competition'.

staff and veterans of the

Sainsbury Group.

2 3

P R O D U C T NEWS

I SAINSBURV-S

BANANA & CUSTARD • i ^ - fuvoud

V w>

Wine and dine Whatever you're doing this summer, why not

spend some time at home enjoying the new Vin

De Pays D'Oc wines from southern France.

Three wines are available: Merlot Cabernet

Sauvignon (£3.25) is a full-flavoured

accompaniment to cold meats and

cheeses (available in 78 stores).

Syrah Mourvedre (£3.45),

nurtured in the sunny

Languedoc region, is

a rich wine with a

slightly spicy

character, and is

suitable for enjoying

with barbecues and

cheeses (available in 148

H

'ot-^t4f,. '"It

Don't scream for ice-cream Why not cool down this summer with two new ranges of

refreshing ice cream. JS Dairy Iced Dessert is 95% fat free

and comes in two delicious flavours - Toffee and Vanilla (£1.69

each). Or why not try our new Soft Scoop ice cream range

which is ideal for children. You can choose between a cool

Raspberry & Pineapple flavour or a tasty Banana & Custard

flavour (£1.09 each).

,^' stores). Cabernet Sauvignon

Syrah (£3.45) is made using 'New World'

wine-making technology and is a rich

spicy, fruity wine which complements

grilled meats, pies and other savoury

dishes (available in 251 stores).

AVAILABLE IN LARGER STORES

Plenty of fizz Sainsbury's Fizzlers is a

new type of biscuit which

is sure to make your taste

buds zing. These

shortcake sandwich

biscuits with fizzy fruit

flavour fillings come in two flavours - Lemon and Orange. They cost 49p each

and the lemon variety is suitable for vegetarians.

AVAILABLE IN MOST STORES

Mushroom mania

A new range of

strange-looking

mushrooms is now

available for you to

amaze your dinner

guests with.

Enoki Mushrooms

(£1.69 for 100 grams)

are widely used in

Japanese cooking and are often used in stir fries

and soups.

AVAILABLE IN 2 5 STORES

Lions Mane mushrooms (£1.59 for 125 grams) are known as 'Coral'

because of their resemblance to sea coral. The texture of Lions

^'^g. Mane mushrooms makes them perfect for any stir fry,

* ^ butthey also taste great on their own, sliced up

and fried in butter or olive oil.

AVAILABLE IN 2 5 STORES

^—^4 -:f

• <,f^gA-'f. 4

The colourful Mixed Oyster (£1.29 for 120

grams) is a combination of pink, yellow and

grey oyster mushrooms that are guaranteed to

brighten up any summer salad.

AVAILABLE IN 1 5 0 STORES

Bless you!

JS Ultra Soft tissues are

made with three special

layers which provide

extra strength, added

softness and greater

absorbency. There

are four varieties:

Mansize (£1.39);

Cosmetic (£1.29);

Regular (£1.29) and

Ultra Compact {99p).

If you buy any two

Mansize or Regular

packs before 7 September, you'll

receive 100 Extra Reward points.

ULTR^orr

AVAILABLE IN MOST STORES

ULTTli^^F

JS JOURNAL

R O D U C T N E W S

Batteries for life There's nothing worse than running out of batteries when you're on holiday, so it's worth stocking up

before you go with some of Homebase's new batteries. There are two types: Powerpacl< zinc chloride

batteries for low drain appliances such as torches, clocks and calculators and Powerpack 'Plus'

alkaline batteries for high drain appliances such as personal stereos and cameras. If you're not sure

which type to choose, there's a full list of suggested applications on the back of each pack.

AVAILABLE IN ALL STORES

Rainforest relief If you buy the new six or 12-pack Rainforest Fromage Frais (99p and £1.89

respectively), not only will you be able to enjoy the taste of real Strawberry, Apricot

and Blackcurrant purees, but you'll also be doing your bit to help protect the

rainforest. For every pack sold, JS will make a contribution (2p for the six pack and

3p for the 12-pack) to the Rainforest Foundation, a charity set up to safeguard the

world's rainforests and the people who live there.

AVAILABLE IN MOST STORES

Pot luck i i£wv^;'';2>';'r-7'"°' '••

-"•• .z.lr<»~c.„ f ,

you fancy a quick nutritional meal, look no further than our

new range of instant recipe pot meals. There are nine

flavours to choose from: Chicken & Sweetcorn Rice

(65p); Tomato & Herb Pasta (69p); Cheese & Broccoli Pasta

(69p); Vegetable Noodle (49p); Golden Vegetable Rice (65p);

Chicken Noodle (49p); Beef Noodle (49p); Chicken & Mushroom

Pasta (69p) and Butter & Garlic Rice {65p). All are microwavable,

but if you don't have a microwave - no worries - you can simply add

hot water, stir and enjoy!

AVAILABbE IN MOST STORES

The Journal's great New Lines giveaway

• Vin De Pays D'Oc wines

• Homebase batteries

• Instant pot meals

• Ultra Soft tissues

NlUIE

If you would like to try some of our new products, simply cross the box next to your first choice and send the coupon to the JS Journal kugusti September Giveaway, 9th Floor, Drury House, Stamford Street, London SE1 9LL. The first coupons drawn from a hat will receive a free sample. Closing date is 21 September.

Ham it up American way,

J O B TITLE

WOiW LOOTION

I Mm, mmmm ]^^ ^,, I /-•'--•'».««-.«.\\ " """ i^^H-T-- / ' ' -^- ' - ' Dell counters

I ' 3 5 ^ ^ ^ ^ * " are now offering a new range of American style hams. Every

I product is produced from American pork legs which are cured and

finished to Sainsbury's high standards here in the UK. The first ham to go on sale was the Virginia

I Sweet Cure (cured with golden syrup and treacle) followed by Hickory Smoked American Ham

I (cured and smoked over hickory chips). Look out for more flavours over the coming months. I AVAILABLE IN 318 STORES

CoHTACT n i . m .

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 1997 2 5

Pamper your pets

"Join today!"

Tens of thousands of JS

shoppers and their pets are

now members of the first

supermarket club of its kind.

They benefit from exclusive

savings on pet care products

at Sainsbury's, Savacentre

and Homebase, as well as

receiving a copy of the

Sainsbury's Pet Club

magazine. We are working

with pet care professionals

and our suppliers to keep pet

owners up-to-date with the

latest news about pet

nutrition and general pet

care. There will also be an

opportunity for customers to

tell us more about their pets

and send in their favourite

photographs.

Sainsburys 9-^

P e t C l u b # | If you have a cat or dog, but haven't signed up yet, why not apply now. Complete the simple application form below and

return it to Sainsbury's Pet Club, PO Box 66, Nelson, Lancashire BB9 8GF.

I

Calling all cat and dog owners! To join Sainsbury's Pet Club, please complete the informa­tion below and post in the box at the Customer Services Desk in-store. If you prefer, please return in an envelope to Sainsbury's Pet Club, PO Box 66, Nelson, Lanes. BB9 8GF.

you... Your reward Card number:

mE mE You must hold a Reward Card to join 'Sainsbury's Pet Club'. If you do not have a Reward Card, please apply for one at the Customer Services Desk.

PLEASE WRITE CLEARLY IN BOLD CAPITALS.

Your title First name...

Surname

Address

Postcode Tel

Sex: Male • Female •

About your pets...

How many dogs do you have? •

Name Name

Name Name

How many cats do you have? •

Name Name

Name Name

Now we would be grateful If you would answer the questions opposite. The more we know about you and your family the more we'll be able to tailor special offers that are just right for you.

Your date of birth: Q ^ [ J ] | | |

How many adults are there in your household? 1 2 3 4 5+

D D D D D How many children are there in your household?

0 1 2 3 4 5+

D D D D D D Your children's year of birth: Child 1 [isO Child 2 ^s£] Child 3 \n\ \

Child4|i9| |Child5|i9| |

How much, on average, do you £ spend on food each week?

How much, on average, do you £ spend on pet food each week?

Where do shop mostly for pet food?

Sainsbury's • Other supermarket •

Pet shop/superstore • Vet •

Other (please specify)IIIl

Where do you shop mostly for pet accessories?

Sainsbury's • Other supermarket •

Pet shop/superstore • Vet •

Other (please specify) •

We would like to keep you in touch with special offers, products and services from Sainsbury's Group separate from the Reward Card programme. If you do not wish to hear from us, please tick here. •

Customer Helpline 0500 101010 8am-9pm Mon-Wed, 8am-10pm Thurs-Fri, Sam-Spm Saturday,

10am-5pm Sunday

esof The Journal te?Lm J ^eeKm^oun ie lp^e are looking for

Group staff who share tlicir name wiji|gtaiieone famous.

Kellie Pearce is co-ordinating the^P-i'-ch here at

Blackfriars for possible features in future issues of the

Journal. Kellie has already found a Sinead O'Connor who

works for Savacentre, a Jim Morrison who works at

Homebase head office and a Mike Baldwin who works at

our Buntingford depot.

So, if you've got a famous name or you know another

member of staff who has, write to Kellie Pearce at

Blackfriars or send her an OASIS message to KJP.

Left: I dont believe It - yes, this Is the other RIchsrd Wilson who we're told never gets In a bad mood while working for the Technical Dhilsion. Right: The other, slightly mors famous Richard Wilson.

Paul NIcholls - branch computing services: "Uke Paul NIcholls playing Joe Wicks In Eastanders he has the perfect face for television and I have the perfect face fOr radio!"

Liz Taylor - head office logistics operations: "I think my name is brilliant! It's different and I wouldn't change It - I'd rather have a double barrelled name than change It If I got married."

Is there another Richard

Branson out there?

Jim

•

2 6 JS JOURNAL

A blossoming career Debbie Thomson has one of the most fragrant jobs in JS, as a floral assistant at Edinburgh's Blackball store.

Carol Hurd talks to her about the tricks of the trade...

•jBl

\

S

Above and below: A floral tribute to Debbie's hard worii.

" It is very important that the plants are well cared for instore," she says, "the last thing a customer is

going to buy is a plant which looks like it's gasping for water."

usiness is blooming in the JS Blackhall store on the outskirts of Edinbxirgh, where they achieve the highest floral sales in the company. This is largely due to the consistent hands-on approach of the store's floral assistant, Debbie Thomson.

Debbie's day starts instore at 7am when she carries out the stock control and orders new lines. The flowers are delivered in the morning for dressing the display. "I enjoy creating something eye-catching," she says, "and although few customers write flowers on their shopping list, if the display looks good, they will buy from it. The display is the

first thing that the customer sees on entering the store and it should be bright and welcoming."

After the plants are watered, the first customers are already strolling in. "It is important to build up a good customer relationship. Doing your job well sometimes also includes giving advice on the type of purchase to make for a particular occasion. "Hospitals, for example, are particularly warm," she says, "and flowers do not last very long. Carnations and Chrysanthemums are the best suited for this environment."

"It is very important that the plants are well cared for instore," she says, "the last thing a customer is going to buy is a plant which looks like it's gasping for water."

Debbie was a littie concerned when the Homebase store opened right next to the JS store. 'They do not sell flowers, but they do sell plants and I thought that we would have some stiff competition." But as it turned out, Blackhall's sales have surpassed those of Homebase and all other JS stores across the country.

According to produce manager, Jason Stockhill, sales in the floral department have blossomed in the last four years that Debbie has been there, with a year-on-year increase of over 60%. Debbie is very modest: "I have unconditional support from Jason, who worked my job for a littie while so he could gain some hands-on experience and get to know the types of plants and flowers we sell."

Claire Woosey, company floral controller says: "Blackhall is regularly taking in excess of £10,000 a week and I firmly believe that these fantastic results are due to the team effort instore

and the emphasis placed on floral which can often be a forgotten department."

Claire certainly feels enthusiastic about the future: "It certainly shows us what we can all achieve corporately if we follow Blackhall's example."

Their team effort seems to be working and they firmly believe in letting Debbie run the show.

'The aspect I enjoy most about my work is that I am made to feel responsible for my own display, from the layout to the actual ordering of plants and flowers. This gives me enormous satisfaction and a sense of responsibility. I'll put in a littie extra because I want it to be a success," says Debbie.

After a day working in floral, does Debbie practise her green-fingered talents at home? She laughs: "I have a cat which eats every plant I buy. I am not sure why she has this fixation, but I've found that my flowers seem to last longer than the plants, so I've taken to flower arranging instead."

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 1897 2 7

Bacteria: Your days are numbered! Microban, one of the most exciting developments for JS this year, is coming to stores in September. What's behind this fresh idea?

The science of food safety

The high profile launch of Microban shows Sainsbury's commitment to raising food hygiene standards. But it also shows off the work of Sainsbury's Technical Division, whose behind-the-scenes work every day ensures the quality and safety of everything we sell.

The Technical Division has been closely involved with the introduction of Microban and it's currently involved in checking the suppliers of the Microban product range. But what else does the Technical Division do?

Here's a few fascinating facts: 1$) We've had a Technical Division (formerly known as SSD) since the

days when we produced our own sausages and pies in the Rennie House factory (where our head office facilities are still located).

® The division's expertise is greatly respected - the Government regularly seeks advice on food safety matters, and our food safety policies have had a major influence on Government policy.

® Most of the 200 people in the division have a scientific background, usually a degree in food technology. We also have our own in-house chemistry, microbiology and nutrition departments.

® All kinds of products are tested - from fresh meat to air fresheners. We have to be sure that all products we sell are safe and legal.

1 ) Everything from microbiological standards and pesticide levels to temperature and cooking times are monitored.

1^ Unannounced visits are carried out on suppliers to ensure that their standards are maintained (we've done this ever since we've had a scientific division).

(JP Our environment department works to reduce our impact on the environment. Innovations include City Diesel and a solar powered refrigerated truck.

^ Responsibility for ensuring clear, accurate labelling is shared between our product managers and legal services. Nutrition information and claims must be approved by our nutrition departments.

Microban, the breakthrough anti-bacterial

product that prevents the spread of bacteria

(as announced in June's/S/owma/), is

coming to JS and Savacentre stores in

September. We're launching a wide range

of Microban protected household products,

including chopping boards, bin liners,

dishcloths and plastic storage containers,

ranging in price from as little as 89p to

£7.99. Eventually, the initial range of 35

products will be expanded into other areas.

Microban is effective against up to

99.9% of known bacteria which come into

contact with it (including Salmonella,

E - coli and Listeria) by eliminating their

ability to grow and reproduce. Microban

can be impregnated into any synthetic

material and is proven safe - its active

ingredient, Triclosan, has been used for

many years in toiletries such as soap,

toothpaste and mouthwash.

Products incorporated with Microban

still need to be cleaned as normal to

maintain good hygenic practices but they

provide an extra level of protection

between cleans. Sainsbury's is the only UK

food retailer that has rights to use

Microban, but it's seen extensive use in

American hospitals and has been adopted

by other leading corporations such as

McDonald's, DuPont (which makes Lycra)

and toy maker, Hasbro.

It's not just products which can benefit

from Microban protection. Store fittings,

staff uniforms and utensils used on service

counters can all have Microban

incorporated into them, and 66 northern

stores will initially trial this concept,

offering extra security and peace of mind to

customers.

Microban looks set to be highly

successful - it's certainly created plenty of

interest in the press since its announce­

ment. Sainsbury's research shows that 70%

of consumers would be likely to buy

Microban protected products and welcome

the idea of incorporating Microban into

store fittings and staff uniforms, and with

food hygiene never far from the headlines,

the launch of Microban is an opportunity

for Sainsbury's to set new standards in food

hygiene. A staff briefing pack, explaining

Microban in more detail, will be available

from 23 August.

28

MAY COMPETITION WINNERS

JAN STANLEY from Blackfriars scooped £25 in our Money Matters crossword, while SARAH MILES from Sainsbury's Bank won £10 in ourMay wordsearch.

It's off the the movies for 100 readers, winners in our AIR MILES/UCI Cinemas competition: H HEIMER, Cobham: K SMERDON, Newton Abbot: PETER LEDGER, Fairfield Park: JEANNEHE LEDGER, Fairfield Park: BRENDA KERSHAW, Savacentre Meadowhall: C PROFFin, Wolverhampton: EURWEN MCDOUGALL, Calcot Savacentre: JULIET RIPPEY, Arnold: P COLE, Warwick: M BENNETT, Sutton Coldfield: KRYSTYNA TRAPP, Sydenham: M HAMBLETON, veteran: PAT MASON, Watchmoor Park: IRENE HORSFALL, Brookwood: RITA GRIFFITHS: WENDY LAKE, Talbot Heath: NYCK MOORE, Savacentre head office: G COLEMAN, veteran: ROSE BULLOCK, Whitley Bay: LAIYIN BROOKS, Plymouth: JILL BRAY, Grimsby: PAT WILSON, Kingsway: DAVID CAMP, Buntingford depot: S KENYON: M PITCHER, Shirley: DAVE BRADDOCK, Blackfriars: JOHN ATKINS, Northern Regional Office: STEVEN GOns, Monks Cross: SUSAN MACFARIANE, Kircaldy: NAOMI CREE, Mere Green: CHRISTINE PEARCY, tancaster: EDWARD MAURER, Blackfriars: SUE CAREY, Homebase Swindon depot: JANAK KHAMBHAITA, Streatham: L SIDDONS, Shorehead: R A CLINES, Burton on Trent: LIN HOLDEMAN, Savacentre Hempstead: MARGARET KEYWORTH, Savacentre head office: R ISAAC, Godalming: JULIAN HIRST, Shorehead: P STOLWORTHY, Bowthorpe: SARAH MILES, Blackfriars: P WICKHAM, Crawley: RICKI STEPHENS, Hull: JERRY BRIDSON, Blackfriars: RICHARD McATAMNEY, Blackfriars: HELEN PARSONS, Welwyn Garden City: R LUXTON, Worcester: DEBORAH NORMAN, Hull: E DAVIES, Rhyl: LORRAINE GREGORY, Calcot Savacentre: B CUTHBERT, South Ruislip: J E BUTT, Ripley: M PASSANOE, Savacentre Sydenham: LORRAINE GOODHEW, Orpington: M GILCHRIST, Edinburgh: JOHN WILLIAMS, Blackfr iars: JEANETTE RICHARDS, Warrington: JONATHAN PARR, Homebase Slecford: A AMOS, Biggleswade: PATRICIA COOK, Monks Cross: J A PEEVER, Solihull: J BROWN, Homebase Newcastle: GAVIN COATES, Streatham: SUSAN MASSEY, Sheffield: DONNA SEWARD, Purley Way: ROGER BATHURST, Blackfriars: IRENE YOONG-HENERY, Midlands Regional Office: DOREEN CLEMENTS, Bishop's Stortford: GILLIAN DEAN, Dunstable: ALISON GODFREY, Bridgwater: JULIE PEACHEY, Homebase Chich­ester: ANGELA SMITH, Sunderland: KEITH FORSTER, Sunderland: JENNI MCLOUGHLIN, Norwich House, Streatham: E RICE, Tonbridge: KEITH ROE, Homebase Dumfries: ANDY BENZIE, Blackfriars: F HALF, veteran: KATH KNIGHT, East Grinstead: BEVERLEY HOWARD, Heyford Hill: LINDA BAILEY, Kempshott: WENDY TOMBS, Savacentre Calcot: MARILYN OTTEY, Burton-on-Trent: B M BOWMAN, veteran: G M GRANGE, veteran: PETER SELF, Blackfriars: C COLEBY, Horsham: B VISROLIA, West Wickham: IRENE UPHILL, Eltham: TINA TRIGGS, Swindon Central: KEVIN ADSHEAD, Truro: TRACY FITZMAURICE, Brookwood: E HEFT, veteran: ANDY MAUNDRELL, Winchester: J WADDELL, Savacentre Edinburgh: D WILKINSON, Derby: DANIEL HORSFALL, Brookwood: BRENDA HICKS, Truro: REV QUARTON, Warren Heath: C CANNON, Fifth Avenue Harlow; JULIE PEACHEY, Homebase Chichester.

Disney Goody bags, the prize in our Rescuers Sound&Vision competition, go to these readers: JEAN FARROW, Ipswich: JEAN GILMORE, veteran: JOHN FOSKETT, Basingstoke depot: TERESA LING, Ipswich: AMANDA RALPHS, Upton: JOANNE BUH, Ripley: SANDRA HANCOCK, Stockton Savacentre : DOREEN CLEMENTS, Bishops Stort ford: NAOMI CREE, Mere Green: JERRY BRIDSON, Blackfriars: RICHARD McATAMNEY, Blackfriars: RICKI STEPHENS, Hull: JEANETTE LEDGER, Fairfield Park: SARAH MILES, Blackfriars: P STOLWORTH, Bowthorpe: PAUL BLOOMFIELD, Northwich: SUSAN MACFARLANE, Kircaldy: ESTELLE DAVIES, Rhyl: STEVEN flOTTS, Monks Cross: KRYSTYNA TRAPP, Savacentre Sydenham: DEBORAH NORMAN, Hull: HELEN PARSONS, Welwyn Garden City: CHRISTINE PEARCY, Lancaster: SUE CAREY, Homebase depot, Swindon: JEANEHE LEDGER, Fairfield Park: DAVID DRADDOCK, 118 Southwark Street: BARBARA WOODS, Upton: L SIDDONS, Shorehead: PETER LEDGER, Fairfield Park: S J GUNSTER, veteran: R A CLINES, Burton-on-Trent: M BENNETT, Sutton Coldfield: PAULA COLE, EDA Warwick: JULIET RIPPEY, Arnold: E MCDOUGALL, Calcot Reading: JILL BRAY, Grimsby: RAZIA ISMAIL, Battersea: IRENE UPHILL, Eltham: KATHRYN COULSON, Market St, Huddersfield; M V HAMBLETON, veteran: CASSANDRA SKELTON, Grimsby: CAROLINE CANNON, Fifth Avenue, Harlow: JOAN LAMPARD, Plymouth Armada Centre: REV QUARTON, Warren Heath: BRENDA HICKS, Truro: I HORSFALL, Brookwood: KEN HUGHES, veteran: P COULnR, Haverhill: M LENTLE, veteran: DANNY STYLES, Crawley: P G BREAREY, veteran: RUTH WEAVER, Gloucester: PAUL MARCHANT, Eastbourne: SHIRLEY GOACHER, Sheffield Savacentre: DAVID COOPER, Sheffield Savacentre: ALISON IVES, Wimbledon: KAREN ROBERT, Salisbury: S A SPREADBURY, Salisbury: JEANNIE CULFF, Central Epsom.

These readers get to discover the Dark Secrets of The Simpsons, their prize in the May Sound&Vision giveaway: B VISROLIA, West Wickham: IRENE UPHILL, Eltham: KEITH ROE, Homebase Dumfries: DAVE CLYNE, Blackfriars: L BAILEY. Kempshott.

Winner in our May balloon competition was B VISROLIA, West Wickham.

JS JOURNAL

LIFELINES

Building for a better future

Uganda has over a million orphans. Barbara

Cowie, evening shift assistant at Blackpole,

Worcester, has abandoned the comforts of

life in England to help give some of them a

chance of a better life. Before she left, she

told the Journal how.

Bricks are baked out of mud obtained from termite mounds.

A itouse under construction. Materiais such as cement are very expensive in Uganda.

Uganda has sufTered years of political instability since

achieving independence from Britain in 1962,

including the notorious dictatorship of Idi Amin in the

70s and a series of coups in the 80s. Recently, there's

been a period of calm in the country's turbulent history

and democracy is emerging. However, over a million

children have been orphaned by war and a devastating

AIDS epidemic (a quarter of adults are HIV positive) is

adding to their numbers.

The Kasana Children's Centre, 50 miles north of

the country's capital, Kampala,

where Barbara Cowie and her

family will spend the next year,

aims to help some of these young

victims. The Cowies will be helping

to construct buildings for an

orphanage and school complex as

part of their involvement with a

charity called Church Relief

International.

It all started last year, when

Barbara's husband John spent two

weeks with a team from their

church building houses at the

centre. John, a mechanical

engineer, enjoyed the work and,

on hearing that the construction

site supervisor was returning to

America, wrote offering to take

over. Now the whole family,

Barbara, John and their daughters

Sarah, Maria, Helen and Joanna

will spend a year helping out.

They'll be building accommod­

ation for the Ugandan children,

who are split into 'family' groups

of 16, each with a parent couple.

Each group lives in a village of about four huts and aims

to be self sufficient, growing and cooking all its own

food. Two villages are currently complete with five

more due for construction.

The circular huts are constructed from bricks made

of mud obtained from termite mounds and baked.

Roofing is thatch so John and Barbara have been

brushing up on English thatching techniques to add to

the building experience they've gained renovating their

own house in Worcester. The Cowies and the other 30

or so mostly local staff at the centre have their work cut

out. As well as the village houses there's an

administration building, staff house, junior school block

and guest house extension to be completed.

At the complex's centre is ajunior school which

provides an education for the 80 current residents of the

orphanage and 250 local pupils aged from seven to 15.

To prepare them for adult life, there are vocational

courses in building, carpentry and agriculture. Girls

learn tailoring skills. There's a secondary school

planned - at the moment children have to attend a

boarding school to continue their education.

Barbara is remarkably calm about the prospect of

giving up all the creature comforts of western life: "You

only live once," she says. "Now is the best time to go - the

children are at the right point in their education.

They're enthusiastic about going and I've told them they

won't get homework if they work hard enough during

the day."

There's no electricity on site (lighting is by paraffin

lamp) and water is drawn from a hand pump. "We've

had all the jabs and we're taking a year's supply of anti-

malaria pills," says Barbara. "I've had to teach the

children not to touch furry caterpillars - apparently they

can bring you out in a rash!" Signs of Uganda's bloody

past can still be seen. A photo taken by John on last

year's trip shows a rusting tank by the side of the road.

The local diet is a porridge made from maize, eaten

with beans. "Apparently it's disgusting - I'm going to

make my own bread!" says Barbara.

Barbara hopes to return to her job at Blackpole

when she returns: "I've enjoyed it and it keeps me fit."

What do her colleagues think of what she's doing?

"They've been pretty encouraging, but I think they're

glad it's not them!"

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 1997 2 9

ir^i^MP^ f$mmmm:-^^^m^m^mm< nn

TRAVEL CLUB

A B T A

Save time and money when booking your holiday

iiSk

lATA

Booking early for your Summer '98 holiday gives you the best of both worlds:

• there is so much choice when booking early and • the best discounts usually apply.

Once again we have arranged for the best possible discounts from the country's top tour operators and we have made it easy for you to book. Many of you now take advantage of the SSA Travel Club; it is there to help you get the best possible deal and give you the best possible service when booking your holiday.

When you have decided where you would like to spend your Summer '98 vacation - call our helpful and friendly staff to see how much you can save and to make your booking - it couldn't be easier.

SUMMER'93 Nobody but nobody beats

us on choice and value. At least

20% OFF**

Sunset, Club 18-30

At least

12^% OFF

First Choice, Sunworld,lnspirations

At least

10% OFF"

Manos, Thomson, Airtours

EXCLUSIVE to SSA members: we offer all'

arrangements, including late bookings, unlike m

Call Jaciiy, our cruise specialist, on 01484 450333 for up-to-date information on next year's cruises and tliis year's special offers. Our staff have over 20 years' cruising experience to taiie care of your holiday of a lifetime.

Up to

40 % OFF early booking on selected cruises:

Cunard, P&O, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line

LATE BOOKINGS In addition to the discounts you will receive off

brochured holidays for winter sun and ski, there is always a selection of last minute

holiday bargains to be had. We have invested in the very latest technology to provide

us with details of all the best offers from the tour operators so we can give you a

choice of all the top tour operators' last minute bargains.

So, whether it be a sunshine winter break, skiing or just a flight only

inquiry, within 40 seconds we can tell you all that you need to know to help you make

your decision.

** Subject to our terms and conditions and holiday availability. 30

How to book • Choose your holiday from the

brochure of any tour operator and make a note of the flight number and holiday code.

• Call the SSA Travel Club on 01484 450111.

• Our dedicated staff will check the availability of your holiday and, if necessary, call you back with a full quotation and discount applicable.

• If you wish to proceed with the booking, you will need to provide a credit card number which will act as security for your holiday booking.

• Payment can be made by credit card, although an additional 2% will be added to your invoice. Payment can be made by cheque. Switch or direct debit without incurring any further cost.

• All holidays are subject to availability and the tour operator's terms and conditions of booking.

• About 7-10 days before departure we will send you your tickets and all travel related documents.

• Discounts may be affected if International Travel Club insurance is not taken out at the time of booking.

Send your signed booking form to: International Travel Club, 106 Westbourne Road, Marsh, Huddersfield, HD1 4LF.

Call the

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01484 450111 to nnake your booking

Please have your SSA Membership Card to hand (available from your

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o n w 3 3

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3 9

JS JOURNAL

P E O P L E %! I* a l^

Weddings i

Darren and Bohnie.

DARREN BEE, store manager,

Homebase Fareham and BONNIE PARKER, senior sales assistant,

gardening, Homebase Fareham, were

married at St. Edmunds Church. They

honeymooned in Tenerife.

CATHY BAUIV, administration

manager at Bromley, and GRAHAM WHITTING, assistant reception manager at

Locksbottom, first met when they were both working at Locksbottom. The

couple married at SIdcup Manor House.

KAREN ALDEN, confectioner and CHRIS LOADER, night warehouseman, both at

Harlow, were married In July. Best wishes from Harlow staff.

Cathy and Grahs^g

Long service Employees who have completed 40years' service

CLIFF CARTLANO, petrol station manager, Horsham. TREVOR BROWN, project

manager. Property Group West, Blackfriars. BILL LAPPAGE, retail security,

Blackfriars. JOSEPH JORDAN, driver, Charlton depot.

The following have completed 25years' service:

DAVID BENT produce manager, Kelghley. ANN CALDICOTT, fresh foods

assistant manager, Folkstone. ROSEMARIE COLLINS, senior checkout assis­

tant, Hemel Hempstead. ROB CONNELLY, senior deputy manager, Harlow.

PETER CORSBY manager, Burnley. IAN DALLAWAY, head of purchasing.

Homebase head office. RICHARD DENT, non perishables warehouse keeper,

Buntingford depot. BRIAN FOSTER, perishables warehouse keeper,

Basingstoke depot. GEORGE FRENCH, senior technical manager, Blackfriars.

JOHN HARRADINE, perishables warehouse keeper, Buntingford depot. JOAN HEAPS, checkout/replenishment assistant, Burton-on-Trent ANDREW HOLLAND, deputy manager, Keighley. MANDY JEFF, checkout/replenishment

assistant, Warwick. SANDRA JONES, personnel manager. High Wycombe.

GRAHAM KENT butcher, Walton. PETER KING, district manager. Northern

Region. JOHN LEFEVER, fresh foods assistant manager, Braintree. GEOFFREY MEARS, grocery manager, Cannock. DAVID MILBURN, senior store manager.

Blackball. JOYCE MOLYNEAUX, fresh foods assistant, Belgrave Road. AILSA NORGATE, deli counter assistant, Barnwood. DIANNE ORSLER, price

controller, Crayford. LINDA OLIVER, senior butcher, BexhIII. MICHAEL PAYNE, returns, Buntingford depot. DAVID PERKINS, perishables warehouse keeper,

Buntingford depot. DOREEN PRICE, checkout/replenishment assistant,

Kingsheath. MICHAEL PYANT non resale manager, Streatham. TRINA SCHAFER, confectioner, Purley Way. LYN STEPHENS, checkout/replenishment

assistant, Sutton Coldfleld. CHRIS TAYLOR, fresh foods deputy manager,

Rayleigh Weir. FRANCES TREDGET, checkout/replenishment assistant,

Brentwood. BRIAN WHITE, meat manager, Blackpole.

Retirements Length of service is in brackets

MARGARET ARMSTRONG, provisions assistant, Kempston (18yrs). MARGARET BANGER, checkout/replenishment assistant, Worle (18yrs). JOYCI^BARNETT, packer, Kingsway (5yrs). ROSALEEN BARNETT, petrol station manager,

Chippenham (14yrs). VALERIE BENNETT, checkout/replenishment assistant,

Worcester (21yrs). MAUREEN BOWERS, checkout/replenishment assistant,

Macclesfield, (15yrs). JOHN BOYCE, general office clerk, Alton (5yrs). JEAN BRINKWORTH, checkout/replenishment assistant. Potters Bar (14yrs).

GILLIAN BROOMHALL, checkout/replenishment assistant. Merry Hill (23yrs).

ANNE BURTON, checkout/replenishment assistant, Leicester (18yrs). MAVIS CATTLE, meat replenishment assistant, Leicester, (27yrs). VERONICA CHESSELL, checkout/replenishment assistant, Lewes Road Oyrs). DAVID CLINCH, fresh food replenishment assistant, South Woodford dyr) .

MARGARET COURT, checkout/replenishment assistant, St Clares (7yrs).

MARY COX, checkout/replenishment assistant, Wandsworth (14yrs).

MAURICE CURTIS, engineer, Hoddesdon depot (16yrs). RONALD DAVIS, checkout/replenishment assistant, Apsley Mills (3yrs). JANET DICKSON, senior deli assistant, Burnley (12yrs). EUNICE DREWETT, senior petrol

assistant, Tonbridge (13yrs). BARBARA FITZPATRICK, fresh food replenish­

ment assistant, Castle Boulevard (8yrs). CAROL FOLKES, staff restaurant

manager, Kempston (Syrs). MARY FOX, checkout/replenishment assistant,

Selby Road (7yrs). DINAH GASKIN, checkout/replenishment assistant,

Warren Heath (7yrs). JEAN GOBBY, checkout/replenishment assistant,

Telford dSyrs). PAULINE GRANT, provisions replenishment assistant,

Leicester (27yrs). DAPHNE HARVEY, kiosk assistant, Colchester (27yrs).

BILL HALL, senior manager, property special projects (8yrs). JEAN HAVLIN checkout/replenishment assistant, Darnley (Syrs). MARY HEDGES, frozen

food assistant, Woodhall Farm (Byrs). MAUREEN HICKS, coffee shop assis­

tant, Burpham (Hyrs). VALERIE HILL, packer. West Hove dOyrs). JOHN HORSTED, BWS replenishment assistant, Hemel Hempstead (2yrs).

MARGARET HUDSON, fish assistant, Stratton (21yrs). FRANK HULAH, warehouseman, Hoddesdon depot (19yrs). BARBARA JEFFERY, produce

assistant, Leicester (23yrs). MARIE JOYCE, checkout/replenishment

assistant, Dagenham (ISyrs). PAT KING, floral assistant, Wandsworth

(16yrs). SYLVIA KNEVETT, checkout/replenishment assistant, Boscombe,

{13yrs). REG LEE, petrol station manager. West Park Farm (36yrs). BETTY LINCOLN, checkout/replenishment assistant, Enfield (20yrs). JEREMIAH LINCOLN warehouse assistant, Enfield (6yrs). ELIZABETH LYONS, restaurant

assistant, Canley (7yrs). RUTH MASON, checkout/replenishment assistant,

Leicester (19yrs). JEAN MASTERS, confectioner. West Green {27yrs). JANE

/ - ^ SAINSBURY'S

• w w I C W Mission to view! There's plenty of action for fans of fast-paced movies rushing up over the next few weeks. If you're a fan of Tom Cruise, your mission will be to rush out and buy Mission: Impossible, the smash hit movie based on the popular TV series. Starring Cruise as a secret agent on the run and featuring death defying stunts, Mission: Impossible is released on 6 October.

If your adrenalin's still flowing after that, why not try The Rock, another action thriller this time starring Sean Connery, Nicolas Cage and Ed Harris.

Connery and Cage must break into the notorious Alcatraz prison to stop Harris unleashing poison gas missiles on the world.

mK& olQ\

s\a«™

On a lighter note, there's animated adventure with the release of Disney's cartoon classic Oliver & Co, about an adorable orphaned kitten who finds friendship and adventure with a pack of pickpocket dogs. And, if you're an animal lover, there's a treat in store with the release on 18 August of Disney's live action version of 101 Dalmatians, starring Glenn Close as the wicked Cruella De Vil - not to mention the 101 cute canines of the tide. Last year's Christmas box office sensation is sure to be one of the (tw®6».pm™ biggest small screen hits of 1997! GLENN CLOSE

The big CD release coming up is the third Oasis album. Called Be Here Now, it's out on the 21 August. If you're cruising down the highway (hopefully not stuck in a jam!) then try the Nol Drive Album featuring such classics as Iggy Pop's The Passenger d& well as other songs for the road from Roxy

Music, R.E.M and M People.

MICHAEL, bakery assistant, Chiswick (Syrs). DAPHNE MILLER, checkout/

replenishment assistant, Horsham (17yrs). MIKE MORGAN, departmental

director, grocery and international buying dSyrs). JEAN NORGATE, kiosk

assistant, Alton (Uyrs). WILLIAM O'CONNOR, trolley collector, Tunbridge

Wells (19yrs). JOHN O'NEILL, fresh food replenishment assistant, Lewisham

(34yrs). SHEILA PITTOCK, checkout/replenishment assistant, Sittingbourne

(20yrs). ANN POULTNEY, fresh food replenishment assistant, Kempston

(18yrs). FRANCES REECE, confectioner. Chase Lane, d 1yrs). FRANCES REECE, evening display assistant, Crawley (17yrs). SYLVIA RYAN, assistant manager,

commodity profit and loss, Blackfriars d7yrs). VIOLET SENIOR, bakery

assistant, Worle dSyrs). JOAN SHAW, checkout/replenishment assistant.

Archer Road (11yrs). DAVID SMITH, Midland regional director (39yrs).

GERTRUDE SOBERS, checkout/replenishment assistant, Purley Way (Syrs).

SHIRLEY SOUTTER, bread and cake assistant, Bromley (8yrs). WILLIAM SULLIVAN, grocery repenishment assistant, Dagenham (Syrs). ANITA TAYLOR, checkout/replenishment assistant, Bitterne, (IByrs). JEAN TAYLOR, coffee

shop assistant, Purley Way (23yrs). MARY TAYLOR, Basingstoke (4yrs).

FLORRIE WEST, accounts supervisor, Eastern regional office (12yrs). JOYCE WHEABLE, packer, Bitterne (22yrs). VIDA WILKIE, checkout/replenishment

assistant. Red Bank Road d3yrs). JEAN WILLIAMS, fresh food replenishment

assistant. East Filton (8yrs). EILEEN WILSON, cook, Warrington (1 lyrs).

VICTOR WILSON, reception manager, Southend (29yrs). JUDITH WRIGHT, checkout/replenishment assistant, Bedford (27yrs).

Obituary Length of service appears in brackets

DOREEN ATTRIDGE, 61, grocery assistant at Eltham, died suddenly on 9 May

(9 yrs). BARBARA HOCKLEY, 58, senior checkout assistant at Locksbottom,

died on 27 May after a short Illness dSyrs). BRIAN WRIGHT 60, works

engineer at Charlton depot, died on 4 July after a short Illness (16 yrs).

EDDIE M0YHIN6, 73, trolley collector at Stratford, died on 30 June after a

short illness (6yrs). KEVIN McKEEVER, 55, warehouse operative at Charlton

depot, died suddenly on 17 June (22 yrs).

Bringing the Magic to Life!

To celebrate the release of /O/ Dalmatians,

Disney are giving away 50 super goody bags.

All you've got to do for a chance to win Is

answer this simple question:

COMPETITION What are the names of the Dalmation

couple whose puppies are kidnapped?

a) Patsy and Peter Q

b) Pongo and Perdita Q

c) Pancho and Pearl CH

FULL NAME

WORK LOCATION

CONTACT TEL NO

Entries to 101 Dalmations competition, JS

I Journal, 9tii Fioor Drury House, Stamford

" Street, to arrive no iater tlian

ill 21 September. Entrants must work for or be

i veterans of the Sainsbury Group. Oniy one

entry form per person piease. Piiotocopies

i are acceptabie.

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 1997 3 1

A R C H I V E S

Packed and ready to go! This month we take a look at the history of Sainsbury's packaging. With over 20,000 lines in our range it is difficult to believe that we began in

1869 with only three: eggs, butter and milk.

O Classic Cola, 1934

O Wine (Cahors), 1386

O Red Label Tea, C./9/S

O Whole Ginger, 1940s (war-time paper-saving half label)

O Shelled Almonds, c.r950

O Garden Peas, 1970

O Pie box lid, C./920

O Champagne, 1995

O Selsa Self-Raising Flour, late 19S0s

i n Singapore Pineapple Chunks, 19S0s

Q Selsa Curry Powder, C.1955

® Brown Label Tea, 1354

© Baking Powder, c.r970

O White Pepper, 1953

O Baking Powder, C./952

<D Selsa Vanilla Essence, C.1935

O Almond Flavouring, c. 1950

O Vanilla Flavouring, c.r950

G> Potted Meat jar, 1920

® Bloater Paste jar, c. 1910

O Bloater Paste jar, C./S97

© Condensed Milk tin, c.;920

€> Bartlett Pears, 1920s

O Cornflakes, 1964

® Custard Powder, c.79fi5

^' Mr Greedy Yoghurt, 1985

Egg box, 1353

Vitapint, 7987

Coffee, 1996

Novon Concentrated Washing Uquid, 1994

® Deep Pan Pizza, 7995

Q he development of the JS brand has been a

long process, from the days of bacon

'smoked in our own stoves' to the sub-brands

of the interwar years and the simplicity of postwar

design for early self-service stores. Today's total

product range of over 20,000 lines includes around

9,500 which bear the Sainsbury's brand. They have a

long and interesting heritage.

Our oldest own brand product today, item 3 in the

photograph, is Red Label Tea, whose blend was

originally selected by the founder in 1903. This pack

was purchased in 1918, and discovered some years

later underneath the floor boards of a house.

A popular logo used during the early own brand

years was a sprig of holly with its berries with a letter

'S' placed on top, and inside the letter were the words

'Ains.' Together they made up the word 'Sains'-

'berry'. This can be seen on items 19 and 22. It would

also have been on items 10 and 23.

The package now has

to speak for itself •

and to speak loudly

and clearly from

many different

angles, now that

there Is no one to

speak on its behalf...

Packet groceries had the name 'Selsa' which was

introduced c.1930, and can be seen on items 9, 4 and

16. The name is said to have originated from a

conversation between a member of staff and the

founder's eldest son, Mr John. When shown a new

Sainsbury's line by Mr John and asked his opinion, the

staff member remarked, That'll sell, sir!"

The introduction of self-service brought its own

challenges. Previously, the

counter staff would

recommend a product

from behind the counter.

However, as

merchandising manager

Jim Woods explained in

the JS Journal in March

1957, "the package now

has to speak for itself- and

to speak loudly and clearly

from many different

angles, now that there is

no one to speak on its behalf... It will have to compete

with many other silent salesmen with which it may be

placed at a disadvantage in that it may be shown in

lesser numbers or in a less advantageous position - or

both." Each pack's appeal depended on colour typeface

and how it looked stacked on the shelf Information for

the customer in the form of cooking instructions, and

recipe suggestions were included, as well as 'a clear

statement of the weight'. Self-service also required the

pack to provide better protection for its contents.

Leonard Beaumont, JS's first designer, adopted a

radically different clean, fresh image. Beaumont also

rationalised the typefaces used on JS packaging, in a

design discipline similar to today.

Packaging designers today face different challenges

from those of years ago. While the packs still need to be

"silent salesmen", they also need to meet additional

legal and practical requirements. The packaging has to

state the name, weight, ingredients, best-before date,

cooking instructions, name and address of the manufac­

turer or supplier, and details of the place of origin.

Additionally, JS also places extra information on

packaging for the customer, like the vegetarian,

microwave, 'litter man', and environment friendly

symbols. Not only do we provide nutritional

information, but we also inform customers that

products have, for example, high fibre, reduced calories

or reduced fat. Amongst the most important items on

every pack is the bar code.

With all these elements to consider, the art of the

designer is an impressive one. One thing that a look

back at historical JS packaging confirms though, is that

JS brands are always full of fresh ideas.

3 2 JS JOURNAL

The torch run from Sheffield to Portsmouth inspired res to come up with some very unusual and ingenious

means of carriage - on the back of a tractor, a Are ngine, on a canal barge, by roller skates, on a bed, by

parachute and even on the back of a 5 ton tank! Six Intrepid runnei; ffom JS, representing each of the six

regions, accompanied the torch - seen here at the start of the journey - over the whole distance from

Sheffield to Portsmouth. Hang on to your torches as we take a quick tour of who went where and what

Staff from John Hayler's district squeezed into a

r~| canal boat to ' ' complete their

stage of the Special Olympic torch run along the Grand Union Canal, Three boats left Islington Lock at 9.30am and picked up more passengers en route at Camden and Greenford, before arriving at Cowley Lock at 7pm. Photo. Daniel Martin

Archer Road's runners were given a helping

r~| hand by ' * Grimsby police

before they set off on their run, raising £2,770 for the Special Olympics.

disabiiUy, itcan iswhylMnk ^tese

Tony Banks, Sports Minister

ABERDEEN GET ON THEIR BIKES

n

Richard Lyell, one of six staff who each cycled a

eg of the 114 mile trip between Aberdeen and

Kirkcaldy (the ongest leg of the torch

run), is seen here crossing the Tay

Bridge. In total, the store raised £965,

and the "knackered" six unwound in the

pub afterwards.

BARNSTAPLE HIGH FLIERS GIVE IT A WHIRL

The fundraising team from Barnstaple completed their leg of

the torch run by catching a lift in an RAF chopper. Liaison

officer, Julie Dennis called the fellas at nearby RAF Chivenor

and asked if they had any space in one of their helicopters.

I I They agreed and flew the Barnstaple torchbearers, Jane

' ' Adamson and Sharon Bennett, the 35 miles to the next store in

Taunton where they were met by staff dressed up as Andy Pandy, Scary

Spice and the Blues Brothers.

SAINSBURY'S

TRAVELLING IN STYLE Mountain bikes and a Mazda sports car were used to transport the torch from Lancaster store to Bamber Bridge. The team raced to a total of £2,000, taking the torch in style to Bamber Bridge.

It's been another marathon fundraising effort as thousands of staff up and down the country helped to raise more than £500,000 for the Special Olympics. It's impossible to

highlight every event, but here's a whistle stop round-up of some of the more weird and wonderful ways you lent a hand.

ALL FIRED UP

Newbury store manager Andy Smith decided to help carry the torch by driving his own

ril army tank to Readin • Provisions assistant

Steve Kennewell preferred to complete the run on foot. Organiser Charlotte Cooke said: "Passers-by couldn't believe their eyes. They were queuingjustto sit on the tank." The run was carried out with military precision and raised £700 for the cause.

Andy Smith and his team prepare to make their advance on Reading.

Photo Reading Evening Post

16 JS JOURNAL AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 1 9 9 7 17

FUNDRAISING FEVER HOTS UP Stores started fundraising weeks before the Portsmouth Games.

As usual, staff did some crazy things to raise money. In Colchester,

a member of staff sat in a bath of baked beans for nine hours while

colleagues at the Lewes and London Road stores formed a human

chain of 1,500.

STARS IN THEIR EYES...

TOP OF TH€ POPS

^ f i Five normally reserved and sober members of staff

, ' i ^ J at South Harrow threw respectability and caution to

%,'• the wind and became The Spice Boys for the day. Phil

I I Lowe (Baby Spice), Sean Harry (Ginger Spice), David

Benford (Posh Spice), Marines Constantinou (Scary

Spice) and Chris Halsey (Sporty Spice) entertained

shoppers and colleagues with some nifty dance routines

and tuneful singing. They managed to raise £512,

64 To raise this

amount of money is a

fantastic achievement

and I applaud the

efforts of everybody

who contributed to

this very worthy

cause, ^k A

David Sainsbury, chairman.

OUCH - A HAIR-RAISING

EXPERIENCE AT TRURO

Truro customer

siTvices assistant

nanager, Rachel Laity,

demonstrates a new

I style of customer

service to fellow

colleague, Sean Craxford. He had

foolishly agreed to have his back

waxed clean in aid of Special

Olympics, Store manager Patrick

Stanley couldn't escape the

attentions of the improvised

hairdressers - customer services

manager Michelle Treharne

caught up with him and plucked

his eyebrows.

Photo Cohn Ross (Ttie West Brrtorl

JUMPING FOR JOY

Northern Ireland

district manager,

Neil Whitehouse

successfully

I I completed a

2,000ft parachute

jump. To keep him company

and dispel any nerves, Neil

was joined by Christine

Pauley from Ballymena and

Cathy Agnewfrom

Forestside. The intrepid trio

raised atotal of £170

GOME DANCING

Selby Road staff went all-

Amencan as the Memphis

Belles and The Mavericks

''l—M led a sponsored line

I dance on July 4th. Over 160

children from local

schools joined customers and staff

in the car park for a spot of musical

exercise. According to Special

Olympics coordinator Jayne

Elsworth, a good time was had by all,

especially when staff heard that the

total raised was over £2,000,

EDINBURGH DELIVERS THE GOODS

Provisions replenisher, Scott O'Connor's show of strength raised a mighty

£4,700 at Edinburgh.

GAPED CRUSADERS

Staff at Eastbourne flew

into action Batman-style

by running from

Eastbourne to New Haven -

in fancy dress costumes.

Later on that evening they

had enough energy left to hold a

pool tournament. Both events raised

'220 for the cause. DALSTON WANNABES

«6

/ think the key to the Olympics is that it gives people the

opportunity to dream. That is what the Special Olympics is all about

It gives people the opportunity to set themselves goals and have

something to work for. 9k Wk I JiU Dando, BBC TV presenter.

Not to be outdone by

their colleagues at

South Harrow, staff at

I I Dalston did a spot of

Spice Girl impersonation

themselves. Joy Lee (Scary

Spice), Jenny Miller (Baby

Spice), Donna Garner

(Ginger Spice) Mary

Mulrooney (Sporty Spice)

and Nicola Law (Posh Spice)

helped to raise £4,500, The

five stars performed various

song and dance routines

which kept staff and

shoppers entertained.

Photo The Hackney Gazette

STOCKWELL IN THE STOCKS

David Stockwell, meat manager at

, ^ ihorley Wood, gets r~| drenched as fellow

' colleagues help raise over £900 during their fun weekend. Photo Gjardian/Gaietteyinaeperflent Newsoapers

BASINGSTOKE CHARIOT TO THE RESCUE

Three drivers (Peter Annells, Brian Kelly, Peter Lomas and two maintenance engineers (Tommy Millar and Neil Braybrook) from Basingstoke Distribution Centre ran with Steve Rogers from Alton JS to Basingstoke Central where they met up

with Sarah Durn and Jeni Whitts who had dressed in Roman attire for their ride in a Black Maria to the Kempshott store.

From left to right: Sarah Durn,

Peter Annells, Brian Kelly, Tommy

Millar, Steve Rogers, Neil Braybrook,

Peter Lomas and Jeni Whitte.

SAVACENTRE PRAMSTERS RAISE A BUNDLE

Staff at Sheffield Savacentre really went to town with

their fundraising activities which included a grand prize

raffle, a baked bean bath, an alternative Cinderella

pantomime, a charity football match and a disco. It was

I all worth it in the long run because they raised a

massive £4,300 for the cause. Eric Gabbitas and Andy

Jones continued the run all the way to Portsmouth and helped

light the Special Olympic flame at the Games.

SAINSBURY'S^ mPECIAL OLYMPICS

APPEAL

Fancy that - (I to r)

Maggie Knight,

Sharon Buckley and

Sue Thompson help

to get Sheffield

Savacentre'storch

run off to a

colourful start.

n SAINSBURY S

• Despite suffering from

chronic asthma, Monks Cross

store manager Michael Hogsden

and customer sen'ices senior

assistant Valerie Pidgeon

completed a three mile

sponsored run in just 28 minutes

and raised £176. As a precaution,

one of the store's first aiders,

Paul Dale, ran with the duo, but

in the end he was only needed to

shout encouragement and carry

the inhalers.

• Veteran Derek Flahey was

one of 1,500 volunteers who

helped with the actual Special

Ohmpic Games at Portsmouth:

"I enjoyed it. The weather was on

our side and the teamwork was

excellent. It was a real pleasure to

see all the athletes enjoying the

occasion and especially their

enthusiasm."

• Sedlescombe Road raised

£1,800 through their store raffle,

car wash and lorry pull.

• A bring Sc buy sale at

Broadcut brought in £1,050.

• The Lewes Road Spice Girls

were the highlight of a fun day

which raised £1,500.

• Trainee manager Richard

Pickett carried the torch from

Lyons Farm to Rustington store

in a recovery truck and was

greeted by pom-pom girls

dancing to disco music.

• Worcester staff raised £500 in

a sponsored walk and were joined

by two Special Olympic athletes.

1 8 JS JOURNAL AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 1 9 9 7 1 9