Sainsbury’s is to relocate its London head office.
The new site in The JJ Mack Building, in Farringdon, is only a few hundred yards from the retailer’s current HQ at 33 Holborn, where it has had its head office since 2001.
The supermarket has signed an agreement to lease the first, second and third floors of the 11-storey building, to which it will move once its current lease runs out in 2025. The new space is equivalent to 68,002 sq ft.
The news, which was announced by new landlord Helical on Tuesday 5 December, follows what has been months of speculation following an initial report by sector title EGI in October.
The move to a new site is believed to have been motivated partly by a wish to move to a more sustainable site, but also to downsize following the adoption of a hybrid working strategy by head office staff.
Sainsbury’s has previously sought to move from the site at 33 Holborn, most notably with an aborted attempt to move to King’s Cross in 2011. The supermarket began subletting two floors at the Holborn site in 2021, following a restructure of its head office workforce.
“We’re delighted to have signed a new agreement that will see Sainsbury’s London Store Support Centre relocate to 33 Charterhouse Street in 2025,” said Sainsbury’s CEO Simon Roberts.
“This is a really exciting opportunity for us to create a modern and sustainable workspace that is better suited to our needs and ways of working as our business continues to evolve,” he added.
“Sainsbury’s has a long and proud history in London, dating back to 1869 when John James and Mary Ann Sainsbury opened their first shop in Drury Lane.
“We know that our success depends on our brilliant colleagues and by moving to a more flexible, efficient workspace we can remain committed to maintaining a presence in central London while taking another important step in delivering our Save to Invest plan, which will enable us to invest where it matters most to our customers,” Roberts said.
The JJ Mack building takes its name from a Victorian market trader, who opened a grocery store located at the site.
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