Our history
Over 150 years of history
From humble beginnings back in 1869, it didn’t take long for the family business to flourish.
As the First World War broke out in 1914, by 1918 rationing was introduced and it wasn’t until 1921 that customers could shop the way they were used to.
We opened the first self-service store in Croydon which revolutionsied the way we shop, with customers browsing aisles and picking their own products.
From the 1970s Sainsbury's established itself as a truly national retailer.
We’ve come a long way to become the business we are today.