J Sainsbury plc (Sainsbury) is a retail chain based in the UK. Sainsbury is engaged in grocery retailing through its supermarkets and convenience stores principally in the UK. The company operates its business through three divisions, namely, Retailing, Financial Services and Property Investment. Sainsbury serves its customers through a chain of 537 supermarkets and 335 convenience stores under the brand Sainsburys, and financial services via Sainsburys Bank. Sainsbury offers around 30,000 food and non-food products and services. The company is headquartered in London, the UK J Sainsbury plc Key Recent Developments Mar 11, 2010: Sainsbury launches first bakery college in the UK Mar 08, 2010: Sainsbury to add electronics to its website Mar 02, 2010: Sainsbury 's to strengthen supply chain in Africa Feb 19, 2010: Sainsbury 's opens new supermarket in Dursley, announces recruitments Feb 18, 2010:
SWOTANALYSIS
Strengths
• Sainsbury 's has had thirteen straight quarters of growth showing real turnaround in its business (Rigby and Braithwaite 2008). Even for 2007 it has shown an increase of 7% in turnover and a huge 450% increase in profit after tax (Annual Report 2007).
• It has an extremely experienced leadership team with Justin King, its Chief Executive receiving great praise for his work in Sainsbury 's (timesonline.co.uk 2008 [online]).
• Sainsbury 's seems to be very well placed on green and environmental issues due to its various recent initiatives, like buying fair-trade bananas (economist.com 2008 [online]). Furthermore its help in closing down gangmaster (Taylor 2008) has had a positive effect on the public in general. It has a positive consumer brand and it 's liked by both green activists and consumers.
• It is one supermarket chain that has a clear celebrity endorsing products, leading to increased sales. "With Jamie Oliver, it has been simple for Sainsbury 's to see uplifts in sales of specific ingredients