THINK CUSTOMER, THINK QUALITY, BE FIRST

Sainsbury’s Supermarkets serves over 9.5 million customers a week from 453 stores throughout the UK. A large Sainsbury’s store offers over 23,000 products – 40% of these are Sainsbury’s own brand.
There is a significant ‘brand’ name to protect and it is vital for Sainsbury’s to ensure the quality, safety and legality of its products.
As the need for greater confidence in the integrity of food has come about, various Farm Assurance schemes have been developed.
In the UK, the Assured Produce Partnership Scheme, applicable to the fresh produce sector, was developed and now encompasses most of the fresh produce grown in the UK. The work on farm assurance in the UK is now being spread across Europe in the form of EUREP GAP, providing a common standard for world-wide supply to European retailers and greater transparency throughout the food chain.
Integrated Crop Management in the form of Assurance Schemes offers additional customer confidence in the products bought.
Certification is gained via an Independent Audit, as no longer is the grower, government or retailer’s word taken for granted, but an independent audit is needed to confirm adherence to a standard.
Sainsbury’s has innovated in many aspects that are fundamental to the success of food retailing in the 20th Century.
Convenience foods, brands-within-brands, organics, well being, socially responsible trading and e-commerce are all requirements for survival in present competitive market and also in the future.
Furthermore, retailers are asking far more from their supply chain partners than they did in the past.
Technical excellence and price competitiveness is no longer enough; now additional criteria have been added, such as strategic orientation, innovation, degree of exclusivity and a good understanding of the customer.