It’s been a while since Sainsbury’s did something that might make the shopper stop and stare – the last time was probably when it unveiled its new-look store at Nine Elms, in south London.

A couple of weeks ago, however, it launched another revamp at what was dubbed its ‘market’ store, just across the river Thames, in Pimlico.

A revamp, rather than a new store, is of course a sign of the times and this one has in fact been around since 2003 when it was thought it might prove to be the way forward for the retailer.

This was not the case and the Pimlico outpost remained something of a one-off from the moment it first welcomed customers.

“While the normal Sainsbury’s signage occupies around half of the fascia, the windows to the right of the entrance look almost like a different retailer”

Now it has changed and, standing outside this one, which still surprises when its position among a raft of indies is considered, while the normal Sainsbury’s signage occupies around half of the fascia, the windows to the right of the entrance look almost like a different retailer.

Each of the three windows carries a decal message on the glass: ‘On the Go’, ‘Hot Food & Pizza’ and ‘Crussh’.

For those tempted by this, the view into the interior could be an orange and brown version of Eat, Pret A Manger or maybe Wasabi.

All of which means a manned counter, backlit chiller units and some outsize graphics repeating the mantras that the onlooker has seen plastered across the windows.

From Fresh Kitchen to On the Go

In some ways, this seems reminiscent of the ill-starred Sainsbury’s Fresh Kitchen.

This was a standalone hot food and sandwich store that traded on Fleet Street for 15 months. It closed in March 2012 following compromises that had been made on service and quality, according to the retailer.

The problem, it was claimed at the time, was excessive footfall and the store, designed by consultancy Twelve Studio, did look good, so perhaps operational matters did indeed seal its fate.

“To complete the idea that this is a discrete part of Sainsbury’s in Pimlico, shoppers walking into On the Go have to pass through a doorless entrance flanked by white tiles that give the impression of an ornamental brick wall”

The ‘On the Go’ shop-in-shop is also the handiwork of Twelve Studio and internal team at Sainsbury’s, as is much of the rest of the store, and given that there is a much bigger pool of staff to draw on should things get a little fraught in this area, failure owing to crowd pressure doesn’t seem probable.

To complete the idea that this is a discrete part of Sainsbury’s in Pimlico, shoppers walking into On the Go have to pass through a doorless entrance flanked by white tiles that give the impression of an ornamental brick wall.

On the Go is spacious, as any food-on-the-go outfit should be, meaning that if there are indeed crowds at peak times, this will still not be an issue.

It is also a brave move by a supermarket trading in a city-centre location where rents are inevitably high.

Damian Culkin, head of store design at Sainsbury’s, says: “It’s the first time that we’ve put all the elements [that comprise the On the Go space] together in one area at the front of a store. It’s about doing something special for this store.”  

The rest of the store has also undergone a transformation. The store’s graphics package has had a makeover, with pride of place probably going to the words ‘Food Glorious Food’ with accompanying images of produce on the wall behind the cash desk.

Overall improvement

The beers, wines and spirits area, along the rear perimeter, the work of consultancy 20/20, also catches the eye.

Mention should also be made of the treatments that have been given to the meat and fish counters and the bakery around the perimeter, with good use being made once more of tiles for the fish counter, in this instance black and high gloss.

The fresh sushi counter is part of this arrangement and also benefits from a high-level black fascia, visible at distance.

In total, the effect is of a complete revamp, even although some parts of the store have had little alteration; and shoppers are noticing: “It’s lovely and so much better than what was there before,” said one happy customer.

It is better and the On the Go formula seems far more likely to be successful than Sainsbury’s Fresh Kitchen. If refreshes are to be one of the stories of 2018, this looks a good precursor.