London roots
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Sainsbury’s began trading in London’s market streets and rapidly expanded into the new suburbs during the late 19th century – by 1903 there were 100 branches in and around the capital.
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Download a list of Sainsbury's branches opened between 1869 and 1900 (PDF16kb)
Go to a table showing the total number of Sainsbury's branches each decade between 1870 and 2000.
The opening of Sainsbury’s first ‘country’ branch at Redhill in 1900 marked a new era of expansion into provincial towns. However, Sainsbury’s trading heartland did not extend beyond southern England and the Midlands until much later in the 20th century. Select a location from the timeline below to find out more about Sainsbury’s expansion from London roots to become a national household name.
1869 – John James and Mary Ann Sainsbury open their first shop in Drury Lane
1873 – A second shop opens in Kentish Town
1881 – John James takes over a cheesemongers in Watney Street, Stepney, which had previously been run by Edward Staples, Mary Ann’s brother.
1882 – Another shop opens in Chapel Street, Islington
1882 – ‘Model shop’ opens in Croydon
1882 – First depot at Allcroft Road, Kentish Town
1888 – Store opens in the Exchange in Balham
1900 – First ‘country’ branch in Redhill
1936 – Acquisition of Thoroughgoods chain in the Midlands.
1950 – First self-service branch created in the Croydon store.
1954 – Sainsbury extends to South West London, through the acquisition of shops run by the Coppens brothers.
1974 – First edge of town store at Coldham’s Lane in Cambridge
1974 – First store in Yorkshire opens in Doncaster
1977 – First Savacentre at Washington, Tyne and Wear
1976 – First Welsh branch in Cwmbran
1976 – Devon’s first branch opens in Exeter
1981 – First Homebase store opens at Purley Way, Croydon
1989 – First supermarket in the North East in Middlesbrough
1992 – First Scottish branch at Darnley, Glasgow
1994 – Calais off-licence opens, taking Sainsbury’s across the Channel
1996 – First store in Northern Ireland opens at Ballymena
1998 – First Sainsbury’s Local opened in Hammersmith