Sainsbury group in the United Kingdom (UK) - statistics & facts

Sainsbury’s, or J. Sainsbury plc, takes its name from John James Sainsbury and Mary Ann Sainsbury, who opened the first Sainsbury’s store in London in 1869. Sainsbury’s grew and grew, far beyond a London dairy shop, adding more innovations, stores, and product lines. In the late 20th century, Sainsbury’s truly became a national retailer, opening stores in the North of England, in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. In 1973, it was listed on the stock exchange, which at the time was the largest ever stock market flotation. For a few decades, Sainsbury’s was the largest supermarket group in the UK.

Competitors

Sainsbury’s still ranks among the biggest UK supermarkets; however, it is second toTesco, which commands the largest market share. Sainsbury’s has been in a close battle with Asda over recent years for second place. The same competitors are challenging in the online grocery shop market, along with the more recent contender, Amazon. Sainsbury’s size is also shown by the fact that it is in the top ten food and beverage retailers based in Europe, again behind Tesco.

Sainsbury’s

Sainsbury’s is best known for its groceries. It has a range of own-brand products, from the value ranges to the higher end ‘taste the difference’. These products can be found in a range of stores, from convenience stores, branded as ‘Sainsbury’s local’ to huge supermarkets, where you can buy everything from video games to clothes. Their presence is not only apparent in physical stores. In fact, Sainsbury’s ranks in the top 5 online stores for both groceries and footwear, demonstrating the brand’s range. Sainsbury’s sales revenue has remained fairly constant since 2017, and reached a new high of over 35.1 billion British pounds in 2022/23.

Argos

Argos became part of the Sainsbury’s group after a 1.4 billion-pound takeover in 2016. Argos sells products across numerous categories, the most popular being the toys, hobbies, and DIY category. Over the years, many Argos stores have been relocated inside Sainsbury’s branches. Argos is yet another example of the increased popularity in online shopping, with e-commerce net sales greatly increasing during 2020. Growth slowed in 2021 but remained positive.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Published by Emma Bedford, Jun 9, 2023

Key insights

Number of Sainsbury's convenience stores in the UK
814
Number of global employees at J. Sainsbury
111,900
Sainsbury's annual retail sales in the UK in 2021/2022
30.96bn GBP
Get more insights

Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Market share of grocery stores in Great Britain from January 2017 to October 2023

Supermarkets

Grocery market share in Great Britain 2017-2023

Annual retail sales of Sainsbury's in the United Kingdom (UK) from financial year 2008/09 to 2022/23 (in million GBP)

Supermarkets

Sainsbury's retail sales in the United Kingdom (UK) 2008-2023

Number of Sainsbury's stores in the United Kingdom (UK) from March 2009 to March 2023, by convenience and supermarket types

Supermarkets

Sainsbury's store numbers in the United Kingdom (UK) 2009-2023, by store type

Related topics

Market segments

4

Major competitors

4

Recommended statistics

Overview

6

Overview

Financials

7

Financials

Argos

4

Argos

Online grocery

5

Online grocery

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Private label in the United Kingdom (UK)
Tesco Group in the United Kingdom (UK)
Tesco Group in the United Kingdom (UK)
Online grocery shopping in the United Kingdom (UK)
Online grocery shopping in the United Kingdom (UK)

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