Sainsbury’s was founded in London in 1869. London remained then, as it is now, the commercial heart of the country. But the conditions for trading were a world away from those today: there was no refrigeration so fresh food would quickly rot, and there was no guarantee of quality. Overcrowding coupled with a lack of hygiene meant that people would get sick from food more regularly than today.
A young couple called Mary Ann Staples, daughter of a dairy shop owner and John James Sainsbury, son of a craftsman, decided to set up a small dairy shop in a rented property on Drury Lane in the centre of London. No one could have predicted that this small shop would become one of Britain’s most loved stores.
A young couple called Mary Ann Staples, daughter of a dairy shop owner and John James Sainsbury, son of a craftsman, decided to set up a small dairy shop in a rented property on Drury Lane in the centre of London. No one could have predicted that this small shop would become one of Britain’s most loved stores.