Sainsbury’s trials new store format

Sainsbury’s is trialing new ‘mission-based’ layouts in six of its supermarkets, which will increase space for non-food and drink, and ramp up the use of digital technology in store.

The stores will increase the space for clothing and homeware by around 30%, but a spokesman confirmed this would not have negatively impact the number of SKUS in the BWS aisles.

The move follows the launch of a new ‘micro-local’ 1,000sq ft store opposite its headquarters in Holborn, London which is focusing on grab and go food for local workers and people shopping quickly en route home in the evening.

As part of the trial, it is upping its digital plan to include a new ‘SmartShop’ handset, which it says will speed up payment by scanning items. It will ultimately allow shopper to scan in shopping lists at home via an app, which they can use to located and pick items store and pay for using a smartphone.  A new check-out option for smaller trollies has also been introduced.

Chief executive officer Mike Coupe said Sainsbury’s needed to make its supermarkets more convenient for people who visit often to do a smaller shop, in response to the shifting retail trends. “This trial is about seeing how far we can go in catering for every shopping mission,” he said.

“No matter what customers are buying, we know that everyone wants to check out as quickly as possible and giving customers more checkout options to suit them is key to the trial.

“The pilot stores will act as a barometer for feedback and we’re listening to what customers tell us along the way. This is very much a trial and we know that not everything will work, but certain elements are already proving very popular and we would hope to roll those out more widely where feedback is consistently positive.”

Different elements of the trials will be conducted in different stores. They include Alperton  in Devizes, Emersons Green in Bristol, Harpenden, Morecambe in Lancashire and Tamworth in Staffordshire.