The Sainsbury Archive
Winning entry for Kingsmead Road, Canterbury branch c. 1982 (c) Sainsbury Archive
The Sainsbury Archive at the Museum of London Docklands holds documents and objects relating to the history of Sainsbury’s and its past and present subsidiaries.
The archive holdings cover the development of urban retail from high street shops to out of town supermarkets as well as the design and construction of factories, warehouses and other related buildings, dating back to the 1920s.
Interior of the branch at 15/23 Porchester Road, Paddington 1957 (c) Sainsbury Archive
The material ranges from photographs to drawings, plans, architects’ models and competition papers. It includes design manuals for new stores as well as booklets aimed at the public. Architecture is also frequently featured in the staff magazine JS Journal and there are recruitment brochures aimed specifically at architects.
As the documentation also covers stores that were not actually built, it further reflects design and planning decision-making processes, even including a design competition for an imaginary site.
Some Sainsbury’s stores were housed in restored buildings – Streatham was formerly a polymer factory and silk mill, while the Bath branch incorporated features of a disused train station.
Exhibition about proposed store at St George’s Place, Lord Street, Southport 1979 (c) Sainsbury Archive
Architects who were involved in Sainsbury’s developments include Percival C Blow and Nicholas Grimshaw. Between the 1960s and early 1990s the company had its own in-house architect’s department which designed many of its stores although external architects were also still commissioned for many projects.
Construction of Sainsbury's factory at Paris Gardens, Blackfriars 1933 (c) Sainsbury Archive
The buildings which were developed feature a wide range of architectural styles – there was no standard corporate look for Sainsbury's stores. The exterior design varied greatly, especially from the 1960s to present day. Adventurous modern designs (like Camden, which recently became the first Grade II listed purpose-built supermarket) were chosen for some stores while others have a more traditional design (such as Burpham, Guildford) in keeping with local architecture and feedback from the community.
Plans of new premises at Station Road, Oxted c. 1935 (c) Sainsbury Archive
We have an online catalogue featuring a large collection of items that have been digitised including many images of stores: https://www.sainsburyarchive.org.uk/. Please note that files relating to individual branches have not been catalogued to a level where it is possible to see every item they contain. The archive staff are happy to help with any enquiries you may have - please email us at sainsburyarchive@museumoflondon.org.uk. Once the museum re-opens we also welcome researchers in person. In the meantime, why not follow us on Twitter? @sainsburyarch
