Alan Sainsbury, Baron Sainsbury
Encyclopedia
Alan John Sainsbury, Baron Sainsbury (13 August 1902 – 21 October 1998) was a British
business executive and a leading member of the supermarket Sainsbury family
.
and Mary Ann Staples, established a grocer's at 173 Drury Lane
in 1869 which became the British supermarket
chain Sainsbury's.
He and his wife Doreen with whom he married in 1925 had three sons:
He later re-married in 1944 and had a daughter Paulette.
As he was divorced, he spent little time with his sons John Davan, Simon and Timothy, and so they only got to know their father when they joined the family firm.
In 1962 he was the first of three members of the Sainsbury family to receive a life peerage. He took the title Baron Sainsbury, of Drury Lane
in the Borough of Holborn
. As thr first peerage using the family name, the territotial designation - referencing the location of the family's first shop - did not form part of the title. When Alan's son John
became a peer in 1989, he took the title Baron Sainsbury of Preston Candover to differentiate between them. In the same way when Alan's nephew David
was ennobled in 1997 he was made Baron Sainsbury of Turville.
in 1938 after his father, John Benjamin Sainsbury
(the eldest son of Sainsbury's founder John James Sainsbury
), had a minor heart attack.
Alan Sainsbury was instrumental in bringing the self-service supermarket to Britain and shaping many of the conditions by which we shop for food today. On a trip to America he saw the experience of self-service supermarkets, and John James Sainsbury's show-piece Croydon branch of Sainsbury's was converted to self-service in 1950. On handing out wire baskets on opening day, one customer was so annoyed, she threw a basket in Alan Sainsbury's face, and one member of staff refused to be an assistant in a self-service supermarket.
In 1956, he became Chairman after his father, John Benjamin Sainsbury's death.
The original shop at 173 Drury Lane closed in 1958. The Manager Mr Pawsey handed Alan Sainsbury the key, saying, 'Your grandfather opened this shop, and I think it's only right that you should close it'.
Alan Sainsbury also pioneered fresh and frozen foods, and increased Sainsbury's own label range. He introduced oven-ready frozen chickens and the simple but powerful slogan "Good Food Costs Less At Sainsbury's" in 1959. Sainsbury's also released its first public relations video in 1964.
He retired as Chairman in 1967 to be replaced by his brother Robert, and became Life President. On Sir Robert's retirement in 1969, at which point his son John Davan Sainsbury became Chairman, Sir Robert was appointed Joint Life President of the retailer.
By this time Sainsbury's boasted 244 UK grocery stores (162 self-service shops and 82 counter service stores). The average size of new supermarkets was 8120 sq ft (754.4 m²). The range of products increased from 350 to 4,000 (including 1,500 own brand products).
In 1969 sales reached £166m and profit before tax was £4.3m. The Company also boasted the highest sales per square foot in the food retailing industry and the market share of the UK supermarket business was 2.5%, turning Sainsbury's into a medium-sized, regional business in London and the South-East.
When the company listed on to the London Stock Exchange on 12 July 1973, as J Sainsbury plc, which was at the time the largest floatation ever, his family at the time retained control with an 85% stake. Alan Sainsbury split his 18% stake in the business between his sons John Davan Sainsbury, Simon Sainsbury and Tim Sainsbury, and so they held 6% each. Meanwhile, his brother Sir Robert Sainsbury gave his entire 18% stake to his only son David Sainsbury. It is believed that Sir Robert Sainsbury gave David Sainsbury his entire shareholding (rather than split it between David and his three daughters) so that David would have more votes at the table, considering John Davan Sainsbury, who became Chairman in 1969 on Sir Robert Sainsbury's retirement, had a forceful, autocratic style of leadership, whereas David was always more cautious (and always seemed less interested in the family business than John Davan (David having only joined Sainsbury's personnel department as he did not get the grades to become a scientist)).
Alan and Robert's sons John
and David
both chaired the family firm and were later awarded life peerages.
in the 1929 General Election and also in the 1930s, before joining the Labour Party in 1945. In 1981, he was one of 100 prominent supporters of the "Gang of Four" who broke away from Labour to form the SDP.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
business executive and a leading member of the supermarket Sainsbury family
Sainsbury family
The Sainsbury family founded Sainsbury's, the UK's third largest supermarket chain...
.
Early and private life
His grandparents, John James SainsburyJohn James Sainsbury
John James Sainsbury was the founder of the Sainsbury's supermarket chain.-Early and private life:John James Sainsbury was born on 12 June 1844 at 5 Oakley Street, Lambeth, to John Sainsbury , ornament and picture frame maker, and his wife Elizabeth Sarah, née Coombes...
and Mary Ann Staples, established a grocer's at 173 Drury Lane
Drury Lane
Drury Lane is a street on the eastern boundary of the Covent Garden area of London, running between Aldwych and High Holborn. The northern part is in the borough of Camden and the southern part in the City of Westminster....
in 1869 which became the British supermarket
Supermarket
A supermarket, a form of grocery store, is a self-service store offering a wide variety of food and household merchandise, organized into departments...
chain Sainsbury's.
He and his wife Doreen with whom he married in 1925 had three sons:
- JohnJohn Sainsbury, Baron Sainsbury of Preston CandoverJohn Davan Sainsbury, Baron Sainsbury of Preston Candover, KG is the President of J Sainsbury, a British businessman and politician. He sits in the House of Lords as a member of the Conservative Party.-Early and private life:...
; later The Rt. Hon. The Lord Sainsbury of Preston Candover - SimonSimon SainsburyThe Hon Simon David Davan Sainsbury was a British businessman, philanthropist and art collector.-Early and private life:...
; later The Hon. Simon Sainsbury - TimothyTim SainsburySir Timothy Alan Davan Sainsbury is a politician and businessman in the United Kingdom.-Early life:Sainsbury is the youngest son of Lord Sainsbury and his wife Doreen...
; later The Rt. Hon. Sir Timothy Sainsbury
He later re-married in 1944 and had a daughter Paulette.
As he was divorced, he spent little time with his sons John Davan, Simon and Timothy, and so they only got to know their father when they joined the family firm.
In 1962 he was the first of three members of the Sainsbury family to receive a life peerage. He took the title Baron Sainsbury, of Drury Lane
Drury Lane
Drury Lane is a street on the eastern boundary of the Covent Garden area of London, running between Aldwych and High Holborn. The northern part is in the borough of Camden and the southern part in the City of Westminster....
in the Borough of Holborn
Holborn
Holborn is an area of Central London. Holborn is also the name of the area's principal east-west street, running as High Holborn from St Giles's High Street to Gray's Inn Road and then on to Holborn Viaduct...
. As thr first peerage using the family name, the territotial designation - referencing the location of the family's first shop - did not form part of the title. When Alan's son John
John Sainsbury, Baron Sainsbury of Preston Candover
John Davan Sainsbury, Baron Sainsbury of Preston Candover, KG is the President of J Sainsbury, a British businessman and politician. He sits in the House of Lords as a member of the Conservative Party.-Early and private life:...
became a peer in 1989, he took the title Baron Sainsbury of Preston Candover to differentiate between them. In the same way when Alan's nephew David
David Sainsbury, Baron Sainsbury of Turville
David John Sainsbury, Baron Sainsbury of Turville, FRS , is a British businessman and politician. From 1992 to 1997, he served as the Chairman of Sainsbury's . He was made a life peer in 1997, and currently sits in the House of Lords as a member of the Labour Party...
was ennobled in 1997 he was made Baron Sainsbury of Turville.
Business career
Educated at Haileybury College, Alan joined Sainsbury's in 1921 aged 17, the same year his youngest uncle, Paul Sainsbury, joined the family firm. He began his career working alongside his uncles as a buyer. He became a director of the Company, then known as J. Sainsbury Ltd., in 1933 and became joint managing director of Sainsbury's with his brother Robert SainsburyRobert Sainsbury
Sir Robert Sainsbury , was the son of John Benjamin Sainsbury , and along with his wife Lisa began the collection of modern and tribal art housed at the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, Norwich.-Early and family life:Robert Sainsbury was educated at Haileybury College and Pembroke...
in 1938 after his father, John Benjamin Sainsbury
John Benjamin Sainsbury
John Benjamin Sainsbury was the eldest son of John James Sainsbury, the founder of the Sainsbury's supermarket chain, and his wife, Mary Ann Sainsbury.-Early and private life:...
(the eldest son of Sainsbury's founder John James Sainsbury
John James Sainsbury
John James Sainsbury was the founder of the Sainsbury's supermarket chain.-Early and private life:John James Sainsbury was born on 12 June 1844 at 5 Oakley Street, Lambeth, to John Sainsbury , ornament and picture frame maker, and his wife Elizabeth Sarah, née Coombes...
), had a minor heart attack.
Alan Sainsbury was instrumental in bringing the self-service supermarket to Britain and shaping many of the conditions by which we shop for food today. On a trip to America he saw the experience of self-service supermarkets, and John James Sainsbury's show-piece Croydon branch of Sainsbury's was converted to self-service in 1950. On handing out wire baskets on opening day, one customer was so annoyed, she threw a basket in Alan Sainsbury's face, and one member of staff refused to be an assistant in a self-service supermarket.
In 1956, he became Chairman after his father, John Benjamin Sainsbury's death.
The original shop at 173 Drury Lane closed in 1958. The Manager Mr Pawsey handed Alan Sainsbury the key, saying, 'Your grandfather opened this shop, and I think it's only right that you should close it'.
Alan Sainsbury also pioneered fresh and frozen foods, and increased Sainsbury's own label range. He introduced oven-ready frozen chickens and the simple but powerful slogan "Good Food Costs Less At Sainsbury's" in 1959. Sainsbury's also released its first public relations video in 1964.
He retired as Chairman in 1967 to be replaced by his brother Robert, and became Life President. On Sir Robert's retirement in 1969, at which point his son John Davan Sainsbury became Chairman, Sir Robert was appointed Joint Life President of the retailer.
By this time Sainsbury's boasted 244 UK grocery stores (162 self-service shops and 82 counter service stores). The average size of new supermarkets was 8120 sq ft (754.4 m²). The range of products increased from 350 to 4,000 (including 1,500 own brand products).
In 1969 sales reached £166m and profit before tax was £4.3m. The Company also boasted the highest sales per square foot in the food retailing industry and the market share of the UK supermarket business was 2.5%, turning Sainsbury's into a medium-sized, regional business in London and the South-East.
When the company listed on to the London Stock Exchange on 12 July 1973, as J Sainsbury plc, which was at the time the largest floatation ever, his family at the time retained control with an 85% stake. Alan Sainsbury split his 18% stake in the business between his sons John Davan Sainsbury, Simon Sainsbury and Tim Sainsbury, and so they held 6% each. Meanwhile, his brother Sir Robert Sainsbury gave his entire 18% stake to his only son David Sainsbury. It is believed that Sir Robert Sainsbury gave David Sainsbury his entire shareholding (rather than split it between David and his three daughters) so that David would have more votes at the table, considering John Davan Sainsbury, who became Chairman in 1969 on Sir Robert Sainsbury's retirement, had a forceful, autocratic style of leadership, whereas David was always more cautious (and always seemed less interested in the family business than John Davan (David having only joined Sainsbury's personnel department as he did not get the grades to become a scientist)).
Alan and Robert's sons John
John Sainsbury, Baron Sainsbury of Preston Candover
John Davan Sainsbury, Baron Sainsbury of Preston Candover, KG is the President of J Sainsbury, a British businessman and politician. He sits in the House of Lords as a member of the Conservative Party.-Early and private life:...
and David
David Sainsbury, Baron Sainsbury of Turville
David John Sainsbury, Baron Sainsbury of Turville, FRS , is a British businessman and politician. From 1992 to 1997, he served as the Chairman of Sainsbury's . He was made a life peer in 1997, and currently sits in the House of Lords as a member of the Labour Party...
both chaired the family firm and were later awarded life peerages.
Politics career
Alan Sainsbury also stood as a Liberal parliamentary candidate at SudburySudbury
-Places:Australia* Sudbury Reef, QueenslandCanada* Greater Sudbury, Ontario ** Sudbury , one of the city's federal electoral districts...
in the 1929 General Election and also in the 1930s, before joining the Labour Party in 1945. In 1981, he was one of 100 prominent supporters of the "Gang of Four" who broke away from Labour to form the SDP.