"It's the Business" programme, 2 June 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 2 June 1998 by satellite to Sainsbury's stores, depots and offices. It was presented by John Howard in the studio.

The programme includes information about the new ready meals promotion and relaunch, salad bars, sponsorship of Comic Relief, millennium projects, staff councils, and various other updates.

Contents:
1. Introduction by presenter John Howard.
2. Interview of Dino Adriano giving an update on various matters. Topics discussed: benzene scare which has meant products have been withdrawn as a precaution [this was an incident in 1998 when large quantities of many brands of carbonated soft drinks were withdrawn due to contamination of the carbon dioxide with benzene]; current trading – a good May; key priorities – to keep driving sales, extension programme and other developments; new checkout software ‘Swift’ to be rolled out; customer first management structure being trialled.
3. Report about ready meals with a marketing campaign, changes to the range, and new packaging designs. Discusses packaging designs, customer research, marketing including free booklet and TV commercial. Interviews with: David McNair (Director, Brand Marketing); Tamara Williams (Designer); Jeremy Garlick (Research Manager, Quality & Choice); Alan McKewen (Produce Manager, Forestside store); customers giving their opinion on the range. Includes footage of ready meals displays in stores and new packaging designs. Includes clip of television commercial promoting the range of ready meals with ‘Fresh Food, Fresh Ideas’ slogan (the commercial has a World Cup theme).
4. Report by Jayne Constantinis (TV presenter) about the introduction of a salad bar at Springfield store in Chelmsford. Interviews with: Ray Norman (Produce Manager); customers giving their opinions about the salad bars; and Ken Barden (Regional Director). Includes footage of “Fresh ‘n’ Ready” salad bar at store with customers and staff, and ready packed salads.
5. News update – Tesco buying Lotus hypermarket group in Thailand; Asda’s proposed merger with Kingfisher (owner of Woolworths, B&Q and Superdrug stores) having collapsed; suppliers being required to be Year 2000 compliant [ensuring they were not affected by the ‘Millennium bug’]; Sainsbury’s selling its stake in Giant Food; results of the JS World Cup (staff football competition); and sales of World Cup merchandise going well including Medal Collection.
6. Interview with Emma Freud about Sainsbury’s sponsorship of Comic Relief and their Red Nose Day. Discusses: Sainsbury’s activities last year to raise money including Delia Smith cookery booklet sold in Sainsbury’s and staff fundraising activities; Sainsbury’s is the main sponsor this year and will be the only store to sell Red Noses this year.
7. Ian Coull (Chairman, Savacentre) discusses millennium projects – ideas for projects to celebrate the millennium and leave a legacy including a party, millennium woods to be planted, and ‘books for babies’ scheme.
8. Ian Coull discusses Savacentre strategy project including refurbishment of Calcot store in Reading.
9. Report about staff councils to improve communications between the store manager and other staff in the store. Discusses the benefits and the staff council elections. Features interviews with James Kellett (Store Manager, Winchmore Hill) and other staff from Winchmore Hill store. Includes footage from Winchmore Hill store with staff and customers including exterior, checkouts, fresh fruit and vegetables department, and office.
10. Interview of Dino Adriano about staff councils; ‘fair treatment’ campaign and policy launch (with document titled “It Takes Allsorts”) to ensure all employees are treated fairly.
11. Questions from Sainsbury’s staff with answers by Dino Adriano. Topics: Tesco’s expansion in Wales and Sainsbury’s reaction to this; company’s plans to make £100 million cost savings over the next three years, concerns about the impact of this, and the ‘root and branch’ exercise to review how they operate.

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

There are approximately 10 additional videos of unedited footage ("rushes") for this video.