Sainsbury relaunched its online shopping offer this week with a view to creating a quicker, more user-friendly site that can take on market leader Tesco.com.
As part of the overhaul, it has ditched the Sainsbury’s To You brand in favour of Sainsburys.co.uk in an effort to remove any customer confusion, said a spokeswoman. All vehicles will carry the web address as well as the slogan ‘Try something new today’.
The Grocer revealed in June that Sainsbury was looking to step up its activity in the online arena after it was put on hold last year (The Grocer, June 18, p8). It appointed Graeme Clark, former e-commerce development manager at banker Abbey, as the first e-channels manager to lead developments with its online offer.
A spokeswoman claimed the business had made measurable improvements to the service in the past year, resulting in better customer retention rates and satisfaction scores. Changes to its store-picking model had ensured better availability.
Sainsbury is now planning a roll out of its one-hour delivery promise, which guarantees £10 off a customer’s shopping if delivered even a second late.
The grocery and specialist food sectors are bucking the trend of increasing gloom on the high street. Latest figures from the CBI found that, although the retail sector recorded its fastest year-on-year sales decline in 22 years last month, grocery and specialist food sectors had remained buoyant.

Somerfield is to appeal against the rationale used by the OFT in deciding there had been a substantial lessening of competition in 12 locations, following its acquisition of 114 Safeway stores.
Meanwhile, the battle for Somerfield could become a one-horse race after speculation that United Co-ops has pulled out of talks for 500 stores with the London & Regional Properties/Nomura Bank consortium.
City opinion differs as to whether the consortium has the funds to continue the bid alone or whether it will leave the way clear for Apax Partners/ Barclays Capital/ Robert Tchenguiz. Interested partners have until October 14 to ‘put up or shut up’.

Baxters has suspended operations at its site, in Fochabers, Moray, following two confirmed and one unconfirmed case of Legionnaires’ disease. A spokeswoman said that, although manufacturing had been stopped, there would be no disruption to supplies.

Boots has reported a 1.3% fall in like-for-like sales for the first half of 2005. Boots said that like-for-like sales had fallen by 1.6% in the second quarter. Although total sales for its Health division rose 0.6% and total sales for its Beauty & Toiletries division were up 3.3%. its lifestyle unit, which includes food, electrical and photography, reported a 3% decrease.
Grocery buoyant
somerfield update
legionnaires scare
Boots down