Depots: central distribution

The London location of Sainsbury's central depot dictated the location of the company's shops. When Sainsbury's bought the Midlands chain of Thoroughgoods shops in 1936, those furthest from the depot had to be sold.

The distribution system was highly organised but complicated and out of date. Each department would make out an order, then submit estimated weights to the transport office so that loads for each van could be calculated.

Goods were assembled from each specialist department at Stamford House, moved down to the ground floor loading bays, then stacked by hand onto vans for delivery to the branches. Butter, bacon and fresh meat were loaded around the corner at Union Street while cooked meats, pies and sausages were loaded last, direct from the factory.

A single van carried goods for several branches and loading was a skilled job. As Keith Curtis, who started work at the Blackfriars depot in 1952 recalled: 'It was a matter of pride amongst the night loaders to get it all on. I've been on night duty and seen a loader get it all on except for one box of eggs and he'd stand back and scratch his head, and start to get it off again and reload to get it all on somehow.'

When he had finished, the loader would draw a sketch showing where the goods for each branch were placed in the lorry, so that the daytime driver would be able to identify them.