Supermarket design

During the 1980s, supermarket architecture became more adventurous.

The Canterbury store which opened in 1984, was designed by Ahrend Burton and Koralek and was the winning entry in a competition organised by Sainsbury's.

In 1988 Camden Council was keen to have a 'high-tech' building  on the site of a former bakery. Sainsbury's store there was designed by Nicholas Grimshaw. It used webbed steel to support a huge arched roof, creating a clear sales area of 30,000 square feet. Designs like this provoked a mixed response.

In 1986 the sales area of an average store was 28,700 square feet (sq ft). Today there are convenience stores at around 3,000 sq ft through to superstores at 70,000 sq ft, but most stores are 'traditional supermarkets' at between 25,000 and 45,000 sq ft.

The company's strict design specifications meant it rarely traded in buildings designed by other retailers. Where it did, they were completely re-fitted before re-opening.