"It's the Business" programme, 1 April 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 April 1998 by satellite to Sainsbury's stores, depots and offices. It was presented by John Howard in the studio.

The programme includes information about marketing, a radio frequency tagging trial, the relaunch of the centrally packed meat trial, World Cup merchandise and a salary review.

Contents:
1. Introduction by presenter John Howard.
2. Kevin McCarten (Marketing Director) is interviewed about marketing and answers questions from Sainsbury’s staff. Topics: the weaknesses of Sainsbury’s marketing strategy when he arrived and how it has changed; special offers – whether there are too many; the use of ‘power plinth’ displays, whether the right products are promoted; whether store management is getting the full information soon enough to help plan promotions; hanging advertising – whether too much; how Sainsbury’s will respond to competitors which focus their promotions on price; Pet Club and 0 to 5 Club; and promotions to attract students.
3. Report on radio frequency tagging trial – electronic tags added to products to help track goods during distribution. Includes interviews with: Gerry Callanan (RF Tagging Project Manager); Martin Raye (Store Manager); Murray Charlton (Oscar Mayer); Sue Wallis (Reception Manager). Footage includes: Oscar Mayer factory at Chard; computer system for radio frequency tagging in operation; warehouse and distribution of goods. Discusses how system works and benefits of system.
4. Interview with Tony Sullivan (Senior Manager, Fresh & Frozen Meat) about the relaunch of the rollout of centrally packed meat to all stores, in which packaged meat is butchered and packaged at suppliers rather than in individual stores. Discusses benefits of scheme; rollout of scheme; fixing of problems with initial rollout; and introduction of meat counters into more stores.
5. Report by Colin Wagstaffe (Manager, In-store Marketing & Promotions) about merchandise produced as a result of Sainsbury’s sponsorship of the England team ‘The Official England Supermarket’ for the 1998 World Cup. Some of the products are shown including the England Squad Medal Collection.
6. Interview with Nigel Broome (Director of Human Resources) about the salary review. Discusses: cost of salaries; new system of special payments; improved benefits; how the decisions on pay levels are made by the board; how the philosophy of annual salary increases is changing.
7. Report by Jayne Constantinis about a pilot scheme to deliver goods to Sainsbury's stores by narrowboats on canals. Includes interviews with Bob Parle (Distribution Director) and Vince Balzan (Store Manager). Includes footage of Charlton depot; boats on the River Thames; a delivery being received at Ladbroke Grove store; and a fish being caught from the canal. [This report is implied to be an April Fool’s Day joke].

Duration: 30 minutes. Produced by Sainsbury’s Group Internal Communications in association with CTN [Corporate Television Networks].

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