'JS Journal', January/February 1997

Table of content

• Contents Page
  02

  CONTENTS
  A new year, and a new look to the Journal. We've
  brightened it up to nnake it easier to read - we hope
  you like it. (We're also celebrating Chinese New Year -
  7 February - on our cover and on page 5.) Don't forget...

• January trading statement for the Sainsbury Group
  02

  January trading statement for the Sainsbury Group
  In the trading statement released on 24 January it was announced
  that like-for-like sales across the Group to 11 January were up but
  the forecast for Group profit for the full...

• New Year's Honour for JS director
  02

  New Year's Honour for JS director
  Personnel director John
  Adshead has been awarded a
  CBE (Commander of the British
  Empire) in the Queen's New
  Year's Honours list for services
  to the National Training Awards
  and Vocational...

• Reward woman's reward
  02

  Reward woman's reward
  Nelen and her team ( W Jonathan Smith, senior mana^r, rolaUonshlp
  marketing, Clare Mlson, communications manager, ilnthony Rees,
  departmental director and firaeme Crossley, national promotions executhre....

• Homebase managers are superstore superstars
  03

  Homebase managers are superstore superstars
  Bath Homebase manager Andrew Whiston has been judged
  1996 Superstore Manager of the Year in the annual
  competition run by DIY superstore magazine in conjunction
  with Addis...

• Jet off with Homebase
  03

  Jet off with Homebase
  Those of you who have been
  saving up Air Miles with
  Reward Points at JS and
  Savacentre can now collect
  them at Homebase with your
  Spend & Save Card.
  At the beginning of the
  year Air Miles was...

• Keith's award is all wrapped up
  03

  Keith's award is all wrapped up
  Keith Brackenborough, a
  print and packaging buyer at
  Blackfriars, has been awarded
  a Fellowship of the Institute
  of Packaging, the only professional
  body for people
  working in the...

• Seeing is believing
  03

  Seeing is believing
  Deputy chief executive
  Dino Adriano recently
  led a Business in the
  Community "Seeing is
  Believing" visit to
  Deptford in South East
  London.
  The aim was to help business
  leaders understand how they
  and...

• A ferry good effort
  04

  A ferry good effort
  Produce buyers at head
  office were so determined to
  beat last year's French lorry
  drivers' blockade, they hired
  a whole ferry to transport
  fresh produce from northern
  Spain to England. This was...

• JS supports organic suppliers
  04

  JS supports organic suppliers
  Sainsbury's sponsored 10 of its conventional produce
  suppliers to attend The Soil Association's 10th
  National Conference on Organic Food Production, "Counting the Cost of Industrial Agriculture"....

• News in Brief
  04

  News in Brief
  (L-r) John Ralsman CBE, chairman of the EMBF, Margaret Beckett MP,
  Radlce MP, chairman of the European Movement, and David Sainsbury. JS hosts Euro-talks
  Top business people and
  politicians gathered...

• Oriental visit gives managers food for thought
  04

  Oriental visit gives managers food for thought
  Middle managers get a change from the staff restaurant. The first group of managers
  to complete the redesigned
  Management Development
  Programme (MDP) met a
  representative from...

• From poppies to palace
  05

  From poppies to palace
  Years of dedicated fundraising
  for the British Legion led
  to a formal dinner at St James
  Palace for two Denton store
  staff and their spouses recently
  when Denton was
  nominated for an award in
  the...

• Greenpeace protests
  05

  Greenpeace protests
  Some JS branches have faced
  demonstrations by Greenpeace,
  which is campaigning about
  Sainsbury's use of unlabelled
  genetically modified (GM) food.
  Dominic Fry, director of
  corporate...

• Homebase gets you covered
  05

  Homebase gets you covered
  Homebase is set to launch a
  new insurance service offering
  three distinct policies:
  home and contents insurance,
  personel accident, and
  a unique garden pohcy including
  cover for plants, shrubs
  and...

• Kung Hei Fat Choy
  05

  Kung Hei Fat Choy
  (that's Chinese for Happy New Year!) The Chinese New Year is on 7
  February (this year is the year
  of the Ox), and to coincide
  with it JS is promoting its Chinese ready meals, including
  a range of new dishes...

• Sainsbury's Bank countdown
  05

  Sainsbury's Bank countdown
  A message from
  Richard Chadwick,
  deputy chief executive,
  Sainsbury 's Bank:
  I would like to take this opportunity to bring you up
  to date with the launch of Sainsbury's Bank. The
  public launch...

• Special Olympics
  05

  Special Olympics
  In July, the Group will be
  supporting thi§ year's Special
  Olympics which gives people
  with learning difficulties the
  chance to participate in a
  wide variety of competitive
  sports. An organising team from...

• CHILDREN IN NEED
  06

  "You don't have to be
  mad to work here - but
  it helps" could have
  been Sainsbury's other
  famous slogan as
  thousands of staff In
  stores throughout the
  country donned daft
  costumes, carried out
  silly stunts, and...

• Writelines
  10

  DRAUGHT LETTER
  Neil Collins,
  checkout assistant,
  East Prescot Road:
  I work regularly on checkouts,
  and I do my best to serve our
  important customers as efficiently
  as possible. But I do
  wonder if the company is doing
  as...

• Skilled to bits
  12

  Skilled to bits
  Thirty-four thousand of you have already been through Operational Skills training and seen the benefits for yourself
  and the customer. But there are still lots of ongoing courses and different training materials...

• Branch opening—Ballymena
  13

  Ballymena
  Atrocious weather couldn't dampen the enthusiasm
  of thousands of customers who had been eagerly
  awaiting the first JS store in Northern Ireland. A
  huge queue had formed well before opening time
  and shoppers were...

• Branch opening—March
  13

  March
  The first JS store to open on a Saturday, at March, is also the first new format Country Town store. With a
  streamlined delivery service which saves on warehouse space and a range tailored to country...

• Branch opening—Aberdeen
  14

  Aberdeen
  Sainsbury's reached its most northerly point when
  Chairman David Sainsbury opened its Aberdeen
  store. A party of some 30 Sainsbury's veterans got
  their first glimpse of a JS store a few days before
  the opening when...

• Branch opening—Clapham
  14

  Behind the impressive
  video wall (featured in
  the November Journal)
  lies a state of the art
  new supermarket.
  Because there are
  two entrances to the
  store, two opening ceremonies
  had to be conducted
  simultaneously -
  one...

• Branch opening—Drumchapel
  15

  Drumchapel
  Two insomniac sisters found a way of passing the small hours when
  they spent a bitterly coici night in their car outside the Drumchapel
  store to ensure they were first over the threshold at the opening.
  "I've never...

• Branch opening—Sale
  15

  The town crier was there, so was
  Cllr Len Murkin, the Mayor of Trafford,
  the Morris Brass Ensemble played carols,
  and Tony the Tiger from Kellogg's and a
  M horse and cart from local bakery Warburtons
  put in an...

• Out with the old and in with the new
  16

  Out with the old and in with the new
  After months of military style
  planning, H-Day finally dawned,
  signalling the end of the Texas era
  and the beginning of the
  integrated Homebase chain.
  Here's a round-up of how the...

• Food and rhyme
  18

  Howard Goodall, a member of
  Sainsbury's sponsorship panel,
  presents Yvonne with her winning
  cheque.
  Food and rhyme
  Food and poetry proved a winning recipe for
  JS office clerk, Yvonne Headington
  Ladbroke Grove general...

• Stage struck
  18

  If you are under 30 years
  of age or have children
  aged between 14 and 29,
  why not apply for a.Stage
  Pass - the national youth
  arts card which gives
  discounts on thousands of
  theatre, concert, opera
  and ballet...

• Opportunity for all
  19

  Opportunity for all
  According to press officer Clare Meredith, Sainsbury's had no hesitation when asked to
  become a founder member of Opportunity 2000 in 1991. "Two thirds of our staff are
  women, so we wanted to demonstrate how...

• The JS Journal photo competition
  20

  The JS Journal 1996 photographic competition
  Last month we published the winners of our 1996 photographic
  competition, judged by TV's Birds of a Feather and Jobs for the Girls
  star Linda Robson. In this issue we feature our...

• Taking your advice on improving customer service
  21

  Taking your advice on improving customer service
  The TalkBack survey generated no less than 8.5 million
  pieces of statistical data - but that was only part of it.
  In addition, over 21,000 staff made comments about
  the...

• Fight against crime
  22

  Fight against crime
  store security isn't just about preventing stocli
  loss. Tills year JS is jointly sponsoring a series of
  initiatives to lielp staff deal with violent customers
  and slioplifters. We asited Group security...

• WINNERS! WINNERS!
  22

  WINNERS! WINNERS!
  The following members of staff won a Beauty and the Beast (ie\u)i.e boxed
  set in the Journal's October Toy Sfory competition: Astrid Allan, Fairfield
  Park; Ginnette Baker, Potters Bar; Dorothy Bashford,...

• We're listening...
  23

  We're listening...
  Customers calling the Freephone Customer Careline could unwittingly be having their
  queries answered by top JS directors acting incognito. Jon Carpenter spoke to Careline
  manager Gary Astill and team leader...

• Classy covers
  24

  Classy covers
  JS is replacing the baby-pink classic
  tablecover (£2.99) with a more
  sophisticated antique pink in 281
  stores. JS's classic 40cm baby-pink
  napkins (£1.49) will also
  change to antique pink in
  281 stores....

• Designed for drinks
  24

  Designed for drinks
  We are relaunching our entire range of mugs. They are all made in
  Staffordshire and range from 79p to £3.99. You can choose from wacky and
  wonderful images of ladybirds, cats and frogs or more...

• Sand spuds
  24

  Sand spuds
  Israeli baby new potatoes (99p for a 500g punnet)
  come from the Harnegev region of Israel, a two-hour
  drive from Tel Aviv. The potatoes are grown on the
  edge of the Negev desert and all the water is piped
  from the...

• You're OSO sweet
  24

  You're OSO sweet
  The OSO Sweet Onion was developed in
  1988 to grow especially well in the Andes
  mountains of South America where they
  originate. The rich volcanic soil and pure
  mountain water together with the climate
  are...

• Just desserts
  25

  Just desserts
  February sees the launch of a new
  addition to our new continental
  range of frozen desserts. Summer
  Fruit Brulee (£1.99) is a sweet pastry
  case filled with a summer fruit mix,
  topped with sweetened creme...

• Skin essentials
  25

  Skin essentials
  JS has introduced a range of six skincare products to
  cleanse, exfoliate, tone and moisturise all skin types,
  including sensitive skins. Essential Purity skincare is
  fragrance free, pH balanced and...

• Tell me a story
  25

  Tell me a story
  Our latest assortment of books arrives
  in-storethis February. Where's My Egg?
  (£1.75) and Bramble To The Rescue
  (£1.50) are ideal for those between
  three and five whilst Teddy Bears'
  Picnic (99p) is...

• The Journal's great New Lines giveaway
  25

  The Journal's great New Lines giveaway
  if you would like to sample some of our new products simply cross the box
  next to your first choice and send the coupon to the JS Journal November
  Giveaway, 9th floor, Drury House,...

• Valentine wine
  25

  Valentine wine
  Valentine's Day isn't too far
  away, so why not settle down
  for a romantic evening with
  your partner and share a bottle
  of JS wine? New in for the
  occasion are wines from
  France, Germany and Spain.
  JS Classic...

• Challenge pays off
  26

  Challenge pays off
  Sainsbury's staff have raised a
  massive ,£13,000 towards a
  ludrotherapy pool at the
  Mnlliple Sclerosis Therapy
  Centre in Bedford bv sponsoiing
  colleagues taking the MS
  ('hallenge (featured in...

• Dalston makes a difference
  26

  Dalston makes a difference
  Dalston store has gone into
  Women's Aid, providing milk,
  tea, sugar, pasta and other
  basics to make up a welcome
  pack for women who ai ri\ e al
  the refuge. The scheme is pan
  of a crime pre\'enlion...

• Dulwich rises to the occasion
  26

  Dulwich rises to the occasion
  Five-year-old William Davies doesn't want to be a train driver or a
  footballer when he grows up - he wants to be a baker.
  So his local Dulwich store gave him a taste of life as a baker
  when staff...

• Mercy mission
  26

  Mercy mission
  Roil Hazell, a drixer al
  Buiiliiig(oi(l depot and a
  niembt'r of Nazciiig (x)ngR'-
  galioiial ("-lunch, teamed up
  with tiie Rev Norman Bonnett
  and two other members of the
  congiegalion to deliver a loiiv
  load...

• Steep descent for charity
  26

  Steep descent for charity
  Sarah Richardson, a newspaper
  and magazine assistant
  at Loughborough store,
  abseiled down a 200 fool high
  building al Leicester I'niver-
  Research Fund for Breast
  Cancer.

• Super Santa
  26

  Super Santa
  Santa was out and about
  radiating Christmas spirit
  in stores up and down the
  country during the festive
  season. But the Journal
  believes that he lool his most traditional,
  cuddly, Christmas card
  picture...

• Working together, side by side
  26

  Working together, side by side
  Paul Basten, Side by Side coordinator
  for Kimberley store,
  organised a day trip for housebound
  members of a local Age
  Concern lunch club. Paul and
  colleagues collected members
  the club from...

• A touch of fame
  27

  A touch of fame
  (LIT) A Touch of Frost star Oavid Jason^Ith Gill,
  actor Matt Bardock and Maxine. ^ '* ,
  Gill Sturdy and Maxine Peel from Harrogate found themselves on
  the set of ITV's A Touch of Frost afier Gill won a day with...

• Blooming in Bridgwater
  27

  Blooming in Bridgwater
  Bridgwater mums-to-be await their new arrivals, while the new mums show off theirs!
  Bridgwater branch was blooming recently when 15 of its staff were pregnant at
  the same time. A good attempt, Bridgwater,...

• JS presents cheque to the Archbishop of Canterbury
  27

  JS presents cheque to the Archbishop of Canterbury
  Dr George Carey, the Archbishop of Canterbury, accepted a
  cheque for £1,600 from Sainsbury's on behalf of Canterbury Lions
  Club. The money was raised through the Penny Back...

• JS tackles the problem
  27

  JS tackles the problem
  AWigan school rugby
  team looks super smart
  when it runs out on to the
  pitch -thanksto a
  generous donation from
  its local JS store.
  Sports teacher Tim
  Holden from Worsley
  Mesnes Junior and...

• Pit your wits
  28

  WINE WORDSEARCH
  C A
  R H
  A N
  Z E
  I D
  N L
  F O
  A A
  N H
  D S
  E K
  L I
  N U
  J H
  H S
  U...

• Trading places
  29

  Trading places
  At Christmas, stores need all the help they can get. This year, over 450 staff from Blackfriars and Streatham provided
  extra pairs of hands in nearly 200 stores over the peak trading period
  In total, Blackfriars...

• Wedded to her work
  29

  LIFELINES Wedded to her work
  Running a home, looking after a baby and liolding down a part-time job wasn't enough for Linda
  so she set herself up in business, too. Carol Groenmeyer reports on her latest venture
  Cottrell, a...

• SSA page
  30

  SAINSBURY'S STAFF ASSOCIATION Tel: 0171 921 7227
  Happy new year to all SSA members!
  Summer concerts at stately
  homes in England
  O O CO
  Following a very popular season In
  1996, these concerts will take
  place again this year,...

• Long service
  31

  Long servine
  Employees who have completed 40years' service
  CYRIL (knovni as Tug) WILSON, transport supervisor, Buntlngford depot.
  Employees who have completed 25years' service
  PETER BAKER, warehouseman, Basingstoke depot....

• Obituary
  31

  Obituary
  Length of service appears in brackets
  MICK LEWIN, 59, a night warehouse assistant at Lordshill, died on 1 January
  after a short illness (14yrs). MAUREEN SEYMOUR, 59, a petrol assistant at
  East Filton, died on 28...

• Retirements
  31

  Retirements
  Length of service is in brackets
  JOHN BALL, order checker, Basingstoke depot (29yrs). JANICE BECK, kiosk
  assistant, Bowthorpe (6yrs). GLORIA BOYCE, checkout/replenishment
  assistant, Rustington (5yrs). CARMELA...

• Sound and Vision
  31

  SAINSBURY'S
  review Feeling down now that the festive season
  is over and it's business as usual?
  Why not cheer yourself up with Disney's Aladdin and the
  King of Thieves. The third and final instalment in the
  Aladdin trilogy,...

• Fuelling outside interest
  32

  Fuelling outside interest
  In honour of the 21st anniversary of the first JS petroi station,
  which opened at Coidham's Lane, Cambridge, on 10 January 1975,
  the Archives takes a look outside Sainsbury's stores over the years
  to...