page_title: Sainsbury's
section_title: Origin and growth (1869–1955)
hierarchical_section_title: Sainsbury's / History / Origin and growth (1869–1955)
caption_attribution_description: English: Sainsbury's first store: 173 Drury Lane, Covent Garden. Taken by unknown photographer c. 1919. Photo held ay Sainsbury's Archives
context_page_description: J Sainsbury plc trading as Sainsbury's is the second largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom, with a 16.0% share of the supermarket sector. Founded in 1869, by John James Sainsbury with a shop in Drury Lane, London, the company became the largest retailer of groceries in 1922. In 1995, Tesco overtook Sainsbury's to become the market leader, and Asda became the second largest in 2003, demoting Sainsbury's to third place for most of the subsequent period until January 2014, when Sainsbury's regained second place. In April 2019, whilst awaiting to merge with Asda, Sainsbury's was again demoted into third place as their rival placed second.
  The holding company, J Sainsbury plc, is split into three divisions: Sainsbury's Supermarkets Ltd, Sainsbury's Bank and Sainsbury's Argos. The group's head office is in Sainsbury's Support Centre in Holborn Circus, City of London.
  As of February 2018, the largest overall shareholder is the sovereign wealth fund of Qatar, the Qatar Investment Authority, which holds 21.99% of the company. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.
  In April 2018, Sainsbury's and Asda were in talks of merging.
context_section_description: Sainsbury's was established as a partnership in 1869, when John James Sainsbury and his wife Mary Ann opened a shop at 173 Drury Lane in Holborn, London. Sainsbury started as a retailer of fresh foods and later expanded into packaged groceries such as tea and sugar. His trading philosophy, as stated on a sign outside his first shop in Islington, was: "Quality perfect, prices lower".
  Shops started to look similar, so in order for people to recognise them throughout London, a high cast-iron 'J. SAINSBURY' sign featured on every shop so their shops could be seen from a distance, and round-the-back deliveries started to add extra convenience and not upset rivals due to Sainsbury's popularity.
  In 1922, J Sainsbury was incorporated as the private company 'J. Sainsbury Limited'.
  Groceries were introduced in 1903, when John James purchased a grocer's branch at 12 Kingsland High Street, Dalston. Home delivery featured in every shop, as there were fewer cars in those days. Sites were carefully chosen, with a central position in a parade selected in preference to a corner shop. This allowed a larger display of products, which could be kept cooler in summer, which was important as there was no refrigeration.
  By the time John James Sainsbury died in 1928, there were over 128 shops. He was replaced by his eldest son, John Benjamin Sainsbury, who had gone into partnership with his father in 1915.
  During the 1930s and 1940s, the company continued to refine its product offerings and maintain its leadership in terms of shop design, convenience, and cleanliness. The company acquired the Midlands-based Thoroughgood chain in 1936.
  The founder's grandsons Alan Sainsbury (later Lord Sainsbury of Drury Lane) and Sir Robert Sainsbury became joint managing directors in 1938, after their father, John Benjamin Sainsbury, had a minor heart attack.
  Following the outbreak of World War II, many of the men who worked for Sainsbury's were called to perform National Service and were replaced by women. The Second World War was a difficult time for Sainsbury's, as most of its shops were trading in the London area and were bombed or damaged. Turnover fell to half the prewar level. Food was rationed, and one particular shop in East Grinstead was so badly damaged on Friday 9 July 1943 that it had to move to the local church, temporarily, while a new one was built. This shop was not completed until 1951.
caption: Sainsbury's first shop in Drury Lane c. 1919
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