'Family' magazine

Quarterly magazine aimed at women, containing features on: fashion; celebrity; short stories; home decoration and food.

Sainsbury's was the first store in the country to launch its own general interest magazine for customers. Launched on 18th September 1961, 'Family' was branded as 'Sainsbury's magazine for every woman'. The new magazine was developed by John Davan Sainsbury, and the Editor was Marie-Jacqueline Lancaster. The first issue contained articles such as 'Is Beauty Really Necessary' and 'Eating Out with Max Bygraves'. It also covered issues such as the risks of young children playing in public areas.

The magazine was issued quarterly and was sold exclusively by Sainsbury's at a cost of 6d (2.5p). It was around 80 pages long with about 20 pages in full colour, and featured advertising for products such as the 'Alkathene Twinco Tufty Brush' or 'Perspex' baths.

Early contributors included Pamela Vandyke Price (for recipes) and Nancy Spain (for celebrity interviews such as Harry Secombe). A regular feature was 'In Store for You: by Sainsbury's Counterman', offering information about the latest Sainsbury's products.

'Family' also included advice on buying the latest domestic equipment such as electric cookers (such as the 'Revo Valiant 4' at £66 10s) and fridges (such as the Gascold at £29.18.6).

In Spring 1962, 'Family' began issuing a series of recipe booklets with each issue. These included Tendersweet Bacon; Meat and Poultry Carving; Lamb Cookery; Sainsbury's English Roaster Chicken.

In October 1964, the new magazine 'Family Circle' was published for the first time, and 'Family' was subsumed into this as an eight-page supplement. This continued until September 1966, although the supplement continued to reduce in size.

Includes first 'dummy' (trial issue) which claims that it is 'the first large store - to - customer magazine in this country'.