Memories | Sainsbury Archive

We want to hear from you:

Many photographs, documents and objects have been generously donated to the Sainsbury Archive by customers and former colleagues.

We would like to gather and record your experiences of working (and shopping!) at stores, offices and depots to add a personal touch to the records.

Have a memory of an item in the catalogue, or a specific branch?

Connect your memories to the archive, start from an object or a store.

Explore the catalogue Find your store

Watford (19/21 The Parade, High Street)

My father, Ernest, spoke about working at this store on the cold meats...

John Langdon, Watford, approx 1908

Advertising images

My mother appeared in the 1978 TV and newspaper campaign "Discount 78". The...

David Brooks, East Grinstead, 1978

SA/MARK/ADV/1/1/1/1/1/9/78 - 'You must shop at Sainsbury's in Lordship Lane' provisions, groceries and meat advert, c.1920s-1930s

"I REMEMBER SAINSBURY'S IN LORDSHIP LANE, TOTTENHAM, IN THE 1950s. AS A CHILD...

ann stokes, tottenham, 10/10/19.

My Father Richard Gordon Ackrill known as Rick by his colleagues at work I...

Michael ackrill, Blackfriars ?, 1960s

Did anyone else have the great fortune of spending time working in Shaw's in the...

Jon Hartland , Shaw's New Hampshire , August 1993

Who remembers the Sava-Centre Birthday events? They ran for two weeks, leading...

Jon Hartland , Sava-Centre Oldbury , October 1986

Market Harborough branch files

I am currently researching a bit more about the store I work at, Market...

Hilary Bradford, Market Harborough, Leicestershire, 12/09/19

Nuneaton branch images

Photo of Sainsburys, Church Street, Nuneaton

Mark Palmer, Nuneaton, Not known

SA/SC/JSJ/66/5 - 'Sainsbury's Journal' September- October 2012

Was happy to be chosen with a group of colleagues at our store to go along to...

Pauline Cooper, Marshall Lake West Midlands, 2003-2013

Chester (Caldy Valley Road, Boughton Heath) branch images

This is the team from Sainsbury's Caly Valley store,Chester. We entered the Raft...

Brian Pritchard, Chester , 1984

I began my JS life at 20 years of age in Bacon Buying under R J Williams. The...

Robert Murray, Head office, Blackfriars, April 1967 to April 1992

I learnt some of the values that I still hold close to me that was so important ...

David William Garnham, Wimbledon,Kingston,Walton, Wandsworth, Surbiton, St.Clares, From 1968 until 1993

I've been at Sainsbury's for just over 10 years and it continues to amaze me...

Philip Whittam, Holborn SSC, July 2019

I've worked for Sainsbury's for 23 years (started in Stratford in 1996) however...

Lee Francis, 0002 Stratford , May 1997 - Sept 1998

Bristol: Bedminster branch files

50 years on.....Can still vividly recall nearly everything about my arrival as a...

Bob Franklin, Bedminster, 1969

London: Sutton (67 High Street)

Postcard showing the branch at 67 High Street, Sutton, Surrey.

Mark Donohue, 67 High Street, Sutton, Early 1900's

My memory of Sainsbury's is working on both the Comic Relief and ParalympicsGB...

Hannah Jeffery, Holborn, London, 2019

I haven't been at Sainsbury's that long but I was been lucky enough to work on...

Bee, Holborn SSC , 05/06/2019

Wow!!! How things have changed.. It's so amazing to see the difference...

Levon Gumbs , South Harrow Sainsburys , 16 October 1957

I would be delighted to see any 1950s archive photos from Sainsbury's in...

Susie King, Bexhill , 1950s