"It's the Business" programme, 1 September 1998

Recording of "It's the Business" programme for Sainsbury's staff (mainly store management teams). "It's the Business" was the anchor business television programme on the "SMART" network (Sainsbury's Management and Retail Television). This programme was broadcast live on 1 September 1998 by satellite to Sainsbury's stores, depots and offices. It was presented by John Howard in the studio.

Contents:
1. Introduction by presenter John Howard.
2. Report about the recently relaunched Sainsbury’s Savacentre store at Calcot, Reading with Chris Diplock (Store Director). Discusses the new features; the celebrations section; new bakery; Food to Go (takeaway); in-store chef; facilities; facilities for those with special needs e.g. parking for expectant mothers, creche; food offer. Footage is included of: the re-opening ceremony; the store exterior; store interior with customers and staff; product displays; counters (meat, bakery, Food to Go, Foods of the World, and fish); creche.
3. Interview with Jack O’Brien (Managing Director, Savacentre) about press reports on Savacentre and the future plans for Savacentre. One press report suggested the Savacentre head office at Wokingham would close and there would be redundancies. He reassures staff that there is a future for Savacentre as an independent company within the group, the Savacentre head office at Wokingham will still continue to exist, Savacentre will “go forward as the R&D centre for the group”, and that all staff with the opportunity of a job though it may change. He also discusses the changes following a strategy review with a greater emphasis on food and how there may be greater interchange of staff between Sainsbury’s and Savacentre.
4. News update by presenter. Topics: Sainsbury’s and Tesco considering selling car insurance; Tesco launching joint venture with Esso to include Tesco convenience stores at Esso petrol stations; Safeway link up with the Met Office to help plan product purchasing – in a trial they bought additional lettuces as a result of a hot weather prediction; promotion for BWS [beers, wines and spirits department] to be launched on 27 September including a competition; Air Miles and Sainsbury’s promotional special offer on flights; donations to be made to the National Meningitis Trust when customers purchase various own-label products. Footage is included relating to all the reports including: a Safeway store interior; beers, wines and spirits department in a store; Air Miles offer posters; Sainsbury’s products with packaging referring to National Meningitis Trust donation.
5. Report about Sainsbury’s Bank with Richard Chadwick (Deputy Chief Executive, Sainsbury’s Bank). Discusses the new products recently launched (Fixed Rate Mortgage, Merit Visa credit card, Petcare Insurance); promotional material including “Sainsbury’s Bank Information Centre” leaflet displays in stores. Footage is included of point of sale advertising (posters/banners, leaflet displays) for Sainsbury’s Bank within a Sainsbury’s store; checkouts in a store; and Sainsbury’s Bank store guide.
6. Report about the SAVE (Sainsbury’s Assisting Village Enterprises) initiative with ViRSA [Village Retail Services Association] to enable small village shops to sell Sainsbury’s own-brand products. Filmed at Halstock Village Shop (the first shop to pilot the scheme) with footage of the interior and exterior of the shop, Sainsbury’s products and customers in the shop. Interviews are included with Brenda Ermscott (Halstock Village Shop); Louise Henshaw (Project Manager, SAVE) and Richard Fry (ViRSA).
7. Report about the Sainsbury’s Careline (customer service telephone helpline) with Terry Wells (Senior Manager, Customer Relations), Iain Cummings (Team Leader, Customer Careline) and Louise Lonergan (Customer Relations Manager). Footage is included of Careline staff at work answering calls, Careline number on products.
8. Concluding remarks by presenter, including about the newly refurbished Calcot Savacentre having done well during the bank holiday weekend.

Duration: 23 minutes. Produced by Sainsbury’s Group Internal Communications in association with CTN [Corporate Television Networks].

There are seven additional videos of unedited footage ("rushes") for this video.