'JS Journal', November/December 1998

Table of content

• Contents Page
  02

  Contents
  Newsround
  Company news including stories on:
  3 JS's success in the SuperMarketing
  magazine awards
  3 The latest thing in NVQs
  4 Bright ideas for attracting the family customer
  4 Pushing for the 'aisleworthy'...

• From the editor
  02

  From the editor
  Oh no! Only a few days to Christmas and
  I've got availability problems on kids'
  A prezzies like you wouldn't believe. You
  see, Uncle Santa's lumbago's playing
  him up and he's asked me to stand in.
  But I've no...

• Cue new NVQ
  03

  Cue new NVQ
  Personnel operations director, Nigel Broome, presents certificates to the first five colleagues and their assessors to
  achieve the refocused retail NVQ.
  Cue new NVQ
  The NVQ in retail is being refocused as an NVQ in...

• Laksa attracts a top award
  03

  Laksa attracts a top award
  Winner of the ready meals category and the overall top prize, JS Prawn Laksa.
  At SuperMarketing magazine's 1998 Quality Food and Drink
  Awards held on 18 November, Sainsbury's picked up three
  awards,...

• Sainsbury's star acquisition
  03

  Sainsbury's star acquisition
  Group chief executive Dino Adriano announced
  on 26 November that J Sainsbury pic has agreed
  to acquire Star Markets Company, Inc. -
  the fifth largest food retailer in New England
  - for $490...

• Facelift for South Woodford
  04

  Facelift for South Woodford
  South Woodford's new look.

• News in brief
  04

  Robin Whitbread Bill Williams
  Changes at
  the top
  Robin Whitbread, formerly retail
  director, has been appointed trading
  director following the retirement of
  Bob Cooper after 23 years' service. Bill Williams, who was deputy...

• Push to improve trolleys
  04

  Push to improve trolleys Research shows customers put a high value on
  trolleys that are easy to push and steer. To make real and lasting
  improvements, all JS stores
  are now identifying rogue
  trolleys through the...

• Retail structure centralizes
  04

  Retail structure centralizes
  In a major reshape aimed at simplifying retail operations and cutting
  bureaucracy, JS's regional offices are to be closed from 7 February 1999 and
  their workloads transferred to Blackfriars and the...

• Awards hat-trick for JS
  05

  Awards hat-trick for JS
  Sainsbury's won three awards at the Institute of Grocery Distribution's (IGD) 1998
  Food Industry Awards, held at the Royal Lancaster Hotel, London on 13 October.
  JS picked up both Packaging
  Design...

• News in brief
  05

  The pride of East Kilbride
  M * . 1 ht****!"
  East Kilbride is now the largest JS
  store north of the border after an
  extensive refit. The store, which
  opened in 1994, has been affected
  recently by competitor openings, and
  the...

• TalkBack2 RESULTS UPDATE
  05

  TalkBack2
  RESULTS UPDATE
  More than two-thirds of people across JS have now received feedback on the questionnaires they filled in as part of the ongoing TalkBack2 survey. There have been some
  improvements since Talk-
  Backl....

• Can you help with a crisis?
  06

  Can you help with a crisis? It's nearly two years since
  Kingsbury store manager Martin Bowden began his
  secondment to Crisis FareShare, the charitable
  redistribution scheme that delivers surplus fresh food to
  projects for...

• Faces of the century caught on camera
  06

  Faces of the century caught on camera
  Sainsbury's and the National Portrait Gallery have announced a
  major photographic exhibition for the millennium. Faces of the Century, 100
  photographic portraits, will
  be chosen by a panel...

• Have a Homebase Christmas
  06

  Have a Homebase Christmas
  In addition to its Christmas tree range - it sold over 150,000 last
  else in the UK - Homebase has many gift and decorative ideas to
  year, more than anyone
  add sparkle to Christmas.
  To check if the...

• School for fish
  06

  School for fish
  Sainsbury's has put £25,000 towards a school for fishmongers, situated in London's
  famous Billingsgate fish market.
  Chief inspector of Billingsgate fish market Chris Leftwich (left) and chairman Kevin Everett...

• News at ten
  07

  NEWS AT TEN Ten bite-sized stories to get your teeth into. HAVERHILL HEROES
  Haverhill fifst aiders Nigel
  Mansfield and Donna Moss
  (right) came to the rescue of
  Eddie Wheeler (left of
  picture) when he suffered a
  heart attack...

• Bakery training rises to award
  08

  Bakery training rises to award Sainsbury's was named on
  2 November as one of six London winners in the National
  Training Awards - for training and focusing bakery managers
  to meet the needs of the World Class Service...

• Bank pushes card for Christmas
  08

  Bank pushes card for Christmas
  Point-of-sale advertising with a special Christmas flavour is helping
  promote Sainsbury's Bank's Merit Visa Credit Card with its offer of
  ultra-low interest charges for the first _^__
  six months...

• Deli good show
  08

  Deli good show
  David Ware's district deli teams celebrate their success. Winners of a summer competition
  to increase sales in
  deli cheese and traditional
  deli items were, in the cheese
  category: Paul Abbott's
  district (best...

• Essential Christmas reading
  08

  Essential Christmas reading
  The free 68-page Christmas Gifts brochure which
  appeared in-store last month has been followed
  up with the 60-page Christmas Food brochure. Both publications include a
  wealth of Christmas...

• Group-wide
  09

  Group-wide
  Here's our regular round-up of what's been going on across the Group... AINSBURY'S
  SUPERMARKETS
  CHOIR OF THE YEAR FINALS
  The 1998 Sainsbury's Choir of the
  fear finals took place from 20-22
  November at the Palace...

• Stockwise takes owl under wing
  10

  Stockwise takes owl under wing
  To celebrate the launch of the Stockwise programme, the
  Journal ran a competition in March to name the owl used
  for the programme's logo. The winning name of Oscar has
  now been given to...

• Writelines
  11

  Have your say
  The point of
  points
  Linda Smith,
  grocery/petrol assistant,
  St Clares:
  With many customers not
  wanting Reward Cards, it
  seems a waste to let the points
  go. I was wondering if the
  stores could have one...

• If you've got the time, you'll save the energy
  14

  If you've got the time, you'll save the energy
  Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to seek out cases of energy vandalism and eliminate them.'' That's the message being given to
  the special agents operating in...

• Lord Sainsbury of Drury Lane 1902-1998
  15

  Lord Sainsbury of Drury Lane
  (Mr Alan), who was the eldest
  grandson of the company's founders,
  died on 21 October. He joined the
  company in 1921 and was its joint
  general manager from 1938-1962,
  and chairman from 1956 until...

• Trading on experience
  19

  Trading on experience
  When the Journal arrives at Coldhams Lane, district trading
  specialist Paul Hotson is having a hectic day. It's the cut-off date
  for this year's turkey order and there are last-minute
  adjustments. But...

• Branch opening—Headcorn
  20

  Headcorn
  SAINSBURY'S L^dtJL
  I I Nirmal Bhadare announces the store opening on local radio shortly
  before David Clapham cuts the ribbon.
  ff% The store has been developed after lengthy consultations with English
  Heritage. It...

• Branch opening—Newry
  20

  Newry
  The store is the main attraction in the Newry towncentre
  development, The Quays, which includes a
  nine-screen Omniplex cinema, a food court, two
  restaurants and a range of other retail units.
  JS's initial intention for...

• Branch opening—Finchley Road
  21

  Finchley Road
  The store is part of a 300,000 sq ft
  shopping and leisure complex which
  includes a Homebase store, a
  Warner Cinema Village, leisure club
  and several restaurants, including
  Capital Radio Cafe and Yo...

• Branch opening—Liphook
  21

  Liphook
  The design of the store comes from a
  'planning for real' exercise set up by JS
  with the local authority and the
  community. The exercise involved
  several public open days and discussions
  with local groups, giving both...

• Christmas ideas at Homebase
  22

  Christmas ideas at Homebase
  Gift ideas from Homebase include the Cookshop's range of
  stainless-steel utensils and gadgets starting at £2.99; or, for
  gardeners - gardening tools from as little as £1.99, a Houseplant
  Care kit...

• Cracking Christmas ideas
  22

  Special Christmas products available in 200 to all stores include i Festive Extra
  Thick Kitchen Towel (£1.32), 2 Regular Facial Tissues (£1.29), and 5 Toilet Tissue
  (£1.85). 4 Christmas Spice Bleach 750ml costs 99p and helps...

• Thai these sauces
  22

  Thai these sauces
  your taste buds are cringing at the thought of more
  turkey sandwiches, you can always revive your palate with
  something a little more exotic. The new range of cookin
  sauces and pastes comes to you thanks to...

• Mmmm... Beer
  23

  Mmmm... Beer
  fiUJl
  Even beer worshipper Homer Simpson would agree there's nothing duff about Sainsbury's stylish new
  range of own-label lagers, which covers all tastes, occasions and alcohol levels. The range is broadly
  split...

• Rise to the occasion
  23

  Rise to the occasion
  In 150 to 406 stores there's the perfect Christmas party accompaniment:
  Sainsbury's new frozen Occasions range which includes 15 tasty appetizers such as
  13 Vol au Vents, 14 Mini Christmas Pudding Chocolate...

• Bubbly six clock up 150 years
  24

  Bubbly six clock up 150 years
  Six colleagues at Wolverhampton
  JS have clocked up 150 years'
  service between them this year.
  They all reached 25 years' service,
  and each received a bottle of
  champagne and attended...

• Bye-bye from Bowthorpe
  24

  Bye-bye from Bowthorpe
  Staff at Bowthorpe store,
  which will be closing next
  I spring, put aside their
  \ disappointment to celebrate
  the store's 20th birthday and
  also say goodbye to store
  manager Steve Carson, who
  T* has...

• Dream climb for Christopher
  24

  Dream climb for Christopher
  Chris Lindsay, assistant buyer in
  Homebase central departments,
  was one of a group of 20 who
  recently climbed Mount Kilimanjaro
  in Tanzania - the highest mountain
  in Africa. The purpose of the...

• Gladiators and genies
  24

  Gladiators and genies
  Broadcut store is the principal sponsor of the pantomime Aladdin- starring Rhino
  from Gladiators- showing at Fernham Hall, Fareham from 17 December till 3 January.
  Broadcut customers spending over £25...

• North-East stores work Side By Side
  24

  Pictured on the railway day is
  Carolyn Brown from Durham
  with Kevin Patterson, who is
  blind and has walking
  problems.
  Colleagues from Durham and
  Sunderland stores worked
  together to help Durham
  Disabled Leisure Group...

• Pretty pram pushers
  24

  Pretty pram pushers
  This aestheticallychallenged
  trio from
  Tonbridge dressed up for
  a good cause when they
  participated in a pram
  race to raise funds for
  the Burns Unit at East
  Grinstead hospital.
  Bakery assistants...

• Selly Oak nets the trophy
  24

  Selly Oak nets the trophy
  Selly Oak were the winners of
  the netball tournament held
  on Paul Abbott's district in
  late October. Kidderminster
  were a close second, with
  Blackheath third, despite
  intensive training. There...

• Brave hearts at Aberdeen
  25

  Colleagues at Aberdeen store have
  raised over £2,200 to buy a defibrillator
  machine known as the 'HeartStart 911'.
  The machine is to be used by the store's
  first aiders should the need ever arise.
  The money was raised by...

• Circus theme at Cheam
  25

  Circus theme at Cheam
  North Cheam recently
  held a family fun
  weekend with a circus
  theme. Colleagues
  dressed up in bright
  clown costumes, and
  attractions included
  strike-the-clown, a
  bouncy castle, soak-themanager,
  and...

• Diwali Day delight
  25

  Diwali Day delight
  At the Diwali Day held at South
  Ruislip, Asian staff at the store
  treated their colleagues to a
  delicious lunch. Checkout
  assistants Venaben Patel,
  Manda Radia, Ann Ladva and
  Kundan Patel (front row, I to...

• Locksbottom helps disabled children
  25

  Locksbottom helps disabled children
  Pictured at the annual
  fun day are Side By Side
  members (from I to r):
  Rose Owen, Caroline
  Russell and
  Jelette Smith. For the second year,
  Locksbottom store has
  decided to support a...

• More for Bobby Moore charity
  25

  More for Bobby Moore charity
  Debbie Hicks, Donna Groves and Anne McGill
  from Crayford store walked five miles with Brian
  Deadman during his 66-mile walk from Crayford
  to Farningham to raise funds for The Bobby
  Moore Bowel...

• Terry blows them away
  25

  Terry blows them away
  Basingstoke drivers braved wet
  and blustery conditions to make
  their golf championship a great
  success. Ringer Terry Collins
  playing off a 12-handicap won
  the singles title with 43
  Stapleford points,...

• Meet the HOT SHOTS
  26

  JS JOURNAL PHOTOGRAPHIC COMPETITION WINNERS 1998
  Meet the HOT SHOTS
  Was it the £500 prize money? Or was there a sale on
  cameras last month? Whatever the reason, this
  year's JS Journal photo competition attracted the
  biggest...

• The £25 crossword and £10 wordsearch
  27

  CLUES
  ACROSS
  1. It goes in the Christmas turkey (8)
  5. They sit on Christmas trees (6)
  7. They're a-leaping in The Twelve Days of
  Christmas (5)
  8. Number of ladies dancing in The Twelve Days of
  Christmas (4)
  12. White...

• £1,000 of Virgin holiday vouchers to be won with Pantene!
  28

  £1,000 of Virgin holiday vouchers to be won with Pantene!
  Pantene and the Journal are offering two lucky
  readers the chance to win Virgin vouchers to
  put towards a holiday of their choice.
  Pantene's new Pro-V Vitalising...

• Lorra lorries
  28

  Lorra lorries
  Due to a number of requests from
  disappointed Journal readers who
  missed out on the model JS lorries
  featured in the October '97 issue,
  the search has been on since for the
  ideal models contact. Now...

• Win a trip to Prague with Freshly Frozen Herbs
  28

  Win a trip to Prague with Freshly Frozen Herbs
  How long after the herbs have been picked are they washed, chopped and
  quick-frozen''
  ADDRESS.
  WORK LOCATION:
  HOME TEL NO:
  Entries to: Birds Eye competition, JS Journal, 9th...

• Freestyle your way to a cordless phone
  29

  Freestyle your way to a cordless phone
  Superb savings on the latest cordless telephones
  The/owrnad has linked up with BT to offer readers special
  discounts on BT's latest generation of cordless telephones.
  There is also a...

• Sound and Vision
  29

  Will your face fit Leonardo's mask?
  The/owrraa/has a bumper crop of videos this Yuletide as well as
  some great prizes, including the masquerade mask Leonardo
  DiCaprio wore in The Man in the Iron Maskl
  In the film of the...

• SSA OFFERS
  30

  Friday 12 February - Sunday 14 February 1999
  Price includes:
  Eurostar round trip from Waterloo
  2 nights in the two-star Ibis Hotel De Ville
  buffet breakfast daily
  Lille is a great place to spend a weekend with its quaint...

• JULY/AUGUST COMPETITION WINNERS
  31

  JULY/AUGUST COMPETITION WINNERS
  Winning the £25 crossword prize is M JOHNSTONE at Apsley Mills.
  The £10 wordsearch prize goes to J LUCAS at Savacentre Basildon.
  Cheerfully accepting t h e i r Cheers video are:
  ANN THORNTON,...

• Long service
  31

  Long service
  Employees who completed 25years' service before December.
  MARGARY ALISON checkout/replenishment assistant, Ipswich. MARY BAKER,
  fresh foods replenishment assistant, Court House Green. ROSE COLE,
  hardware...

• Obituary
  31

  Obituary
  JULIAN BARNETT, 35, assistant manager, reception on night shift at Winterstoke Road, died suddenly on 1 November (2yrs). STEPHEN HRTWISTIE, 18,
  produce assistant at Northwich, died suddenly on 10 November (1yr). MARK...

• Retirements
  31

  Retirements
  JANET ABERY, licensed trainer, Broadcut Fareham (18yrs). GEORGE
  ASRTON, trolley collector, Letchworth (14yrs). PEGGY BAILEY. BWS
  assistant, Shirley (27yrs). BETTY BAKER, checkout/replenishment
  assistant, West Hove...

• Weddings
  31

  SHARON ELLISON meat assistant
  Durham, married Sub Lieutenant MCI
  PERCY at St Cuthberts Church on 7
  August. Sharon met Nick when he was
  working for JS as a senior warehouse
  assistant. Nick's brother is currently a
  senior...

• So here it is, Merry Christmas
  32

  One of the more enjoyable challenges in the Archives calendar is to find a novel historical
  subject for the Christmas back page. Over the years we've expressed admiration worthy of
  Tiny Tim for turkeys gone by, enjoyed past puds...