"Sainsbury's SmartBox Shopping: The new friendlier way to shop and pack" leaflet

File of correspondence and other papers relating to the new Sainsbury's store in Castle Court, Brislington, Bristol opened on 18 June 1996. The file is from Sainsbury's Local PR Department so primarily relates to public relations activities for the opening of the store but also includes some general information about the store. Includes press releases, internal and external correspondence, minutes of meetings, press cuttings, Sainsbury's Club Store ribbon, logo design, media questions and answers document. and briefing notes on the SmartBox (reusable boxes for customer use intended as an alternative to carrier bags). The store was on the site of the former "Cargo Club" members-only store which was bought by Sainsbury's in 1995 from Nurdin and Peacock. When Sainsbury's took over and reopened the site on 18 June 1996 they had to also operate it as a members-only store due to conditions on the original planning permission on the Cargo Club. It opened as "Sainsbury's Club Store". Customers had to live within a 20 minute drive and pay a subscription of £5 a year to use the store which offered the regular Sainsbury's range at discounted prices plus an extented range of bulk purchase items and non-food items. A planning application was submitted by Sainsbury's to enable it to open as a regular store without the membership requirement.

The Smartbox system used recycled plastic boxes purchased by customers and held in a new style trolley. The customer packed the groceries into the box as they toured the aisles, checks out at the front end as normal and re-packs their reusable box. They did not need a carrier bag but they did receive two Schoolbags vouchers or two pence for each filled box. Smartbox allows the customer to sort the shopping, protects it in the boot of the car and makes it easier to unpack at home. The idea comes from Canada. Safeway supermarket, at the time, were using a similar conjunction with 'selfscanning' where the customer used a hand-held scanner as they selected the products from the shelf. Information from SA/SC/JSJ/49/9. Two sides of the basket are inscribed 'Sainsbury's 7870'. See SA/MARK/ADV/3/5/3/44 for leaflet