Environment and regeneration
From the 1990s it has been Sainsbury's store design policy to respond to the local environment wherever possible.
Traditional building materials are used - reclaimed local stone in Macclesfield and Rhyl and flint cladding in Thetford. The Plymouth branch features sail-shaped roof details reflecting the city's seafaring history.
Many new town centre developments include a mix of residential, office, leisure and community facilities as well as supermarkets. In a £90 million joint venture with the council, part of Maidenhead town centre has recently been redeveloped, including a new piazza. Larger stores are sometimes part of major regeneration schemes, such as the award-winning transformation of Birmingham's Castle Vale 'sink' estate.
The development of brownfield sites has also led to the incorporation of historic buildings into Sainsbury's designs.
Environmental improvements are also a feature of today's supermarket developments. In 1999 Sainsbury's was selected by English Partnerships to pioneer the UK's first 'low energy supermarket' at the millennium site in Greenwich. The futuristic design featured natural daylight, solar panels and wind turbines.