Sainsbury’s

Sainsbury’s is one of the pioneers of UK grocery retailing. Founded in 1869 by John James Sainsbury and his wife Mary Ann, the business was one of the earliest adopters of the self-service shopping model that would go on to revolutionise the way people purchased food. Based in Holborn, London, the business operates around 1,500 stores across its supermarket format and Sainsbury’s Local convenience division. In 2016, Sainsbury’s acquired Argos in a £1.4bn deal designed broaden its reach into general merchandise, ramp up its online and digital expertise, and provide Argos with a greater presence inside the grocer’s larger stores. As well as Argos, Sainsbury’s also owns the Tu clothing label – one of the largest fashion brands in the UK by sales volume – but its core grocery business continues to account for the majority of group sales.