Depots: 1880 to 1940s

In 1882, John James Sainsbury established the company's first depot at 90 Allcroft Road, near his Kentish Town shops.

This 'Wholesale Depot' provided warehouse space for butter, cheese and eggs, stables for the delivery horses, office space and accommodation for a resident foreman. The site was later extended to include bacon-smoking stoves. The bacon smoked here was the first product to be produced by Sainsbury's and was sold as 'Sainsbury brand'.

By 1890, the north London depot had grown outdated and inconvenient for serving the growing network of branches across the capital. John James Sainsbury acquired a new site at Stamford Street and Bennett Street at Blackfriars. The new head office and warehouse was in an ideal location for the Thames wharves, wholesale markets and main railway terminals. The location, alongside the area known as 'London's Larder' elevated John James' status to that of 'provision merchant and agent'.

The more central location of Blackfriars meant that locations to the south and east of London were far more accessible, and contributed to Sainsbury's dramatic expansion between 1890 and 1900. More warehouse space was soon needed and so Stamford House was built in 1912-13.

During the Second World War, Sainsbury's central London warehouse was vulnerable to enemy attack. Temporary premises were set up at Branshott in Hampshire, Saffron Walden in Essex, Fleckney near Leicester and Woolmer Green in Hertfordshire. This relocation to regional distribution centres saved on fuel, which was strictly controlled by the government. It also meant that Sainsbury's could still supply all its branches while complying with controls which limited the movement of food.