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Bringing Home the Bacon
Sainsbury’s has sold bacon for nearly its entire history, and for much of this time it was one of the company’s most important products. Read this meaty article to learn more.
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Research Ideas
Interested in using the Sainsbury Archive for a research project but unsure where to start? Explore some themes selected by leading retail historian Peter Scott here.
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Cheese it! A history of cheese at Sainsbury's
Cheese has been a key product of Sainsbury's since its early days as a dairy shop. We look at the story of cheese at Sainsbury's over the years.
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What gives each Sainsbury's store its distinctive flavour?
We handed over the archive to two researchers into public art, Lisa Brown and Mark Bessoudo, to see what they made of our collection.
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Packaging Design Files
The Sainsbury Archive contains thousands of items created during the product packaging design process from the 1960s onwards. Many can now be viewed online, providing a great source of information and inspiration. See what there is and how to delve into it here.
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The Story of the Car Park
The car park has been a major feature of Sainsbury's stores for the last 50 years and beyond. We look at the story of how the car park developed over time.
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Staff Accommodation
For over a century Sainsbury’s offered its staff a place to live as well as a job. Make yourself at home and read more here.
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Home Delivery
Although home delivery of supermarket shopping may seem like a recent innovation, Sainsbury’s has a long history of supplying goods directly to customers’ front doors. This story delivers the details, from the days of horse-drawn carts to the internet age.
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The Birth of the Barcode
Look back at the evolution of barcodes which revolutionised retail and brought massive technological advances to our everyday lives.
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'JS Journal'
The magazine ‘JS Journal’ contains a wealth of information about Sainsbury’s and its staff spanning eight decades. Find out more about its contents and how to access them digitally here.
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The Story of Homebase
The first Homebase store opened in Croydon in 1981. We tell the story of this former Sainsbury's subsidiary here.
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Staff Registers
The Archive has digitized a large quantity of staff registers compiled between the 1890s and 1929, containing information about thousands of Sainsbury’s employees. Find out more here.
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Remembering Mr J.D.
We take a look at the career of Sainsbury’s former chairman and chief executive John Davan Sainsbury, Lord Sainsbury of Preston Candover KG.
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Time for a Cuppa
A look back at evolution of one of Sainsbury's first own brand products and the nation's favourite - tea.
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Sainsbury's in SE1
A look back to Sainsbury's headquarters, factory and training school in SE1.
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The Story of Savacentre
A look back at a chain of pioneering hypermarkets which sold Sainsbury’s food and much more besides.
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Self-Service
Sainsbury's were a leader in the development of self-service supermarkets in Britain after the Second World War.
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Butter and Margarine
Butter was one of just three products sold in the first Sainsbury's store, and remained a key product during Sainsbury's development into a national chain. We look here at the history of butter, margarine and spreads at Sainsbury's.
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Art at Sainsbury's
Many branches have included public artworks as a prominent feature in their design, from murals and mosaics to concrete hippos. Discover more and see images of them here.
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Evolution of Packaging
The early range of fresh provisions sold by Sainsbury’s was weighed and wrapped individually, and any packaging was simple.