ROMANCE OF BUSINESS

Greymouth Evening Star, 24 March 1928, Page 5

ROMANCE OF BUSINESS

TINY SHOP TO BIG CONCERN.

Another example of a woman’s influence in the building up of her husband’s business from, a small beginning to a concern of gigantic proportions is brought to mind by the death, at the age of 83, of Mr. John James Sains-, bury, founder of a well-known London firm of provision merchants. Mrs. Sainsbury, who died last year, helped her husband to stajrt a little shop in Drury Lane 60 years ago, and although she had twelve children, she rendered valuable services to the business. The training of the six sons for the work was left chiefly in the hands of Mrs. Sainsbury, who in recent years travelled with her husband on visits to the numerous branches. Today there are over a hundred Sainsbury shops in London, and many more in the provinces. The business is estimated to be worth about £1,500,000, and all the shares are held by Mr. Sainsbury’s six sons and six grandsons.

“The girl die married was the daughter of a cheesemonger in Drury Lane,” stated a provision merchant who dealt with the founder of the firm for 45 years. “In the tiny cheesemonger’s shop in which they began life together they sold butter, eggs and cheese. Both of them worked hard behind the counter and gradually built up a reputation for having the best butter, eggs and cheese in London. They introduced other foodstuffs and Mr. Sainsbury coined the term ‘provision merchant.’ “From the time when Mr. Sainsbury began to make his Drury Lane shop a success, he could never be tempted to buy anything but the best, and this, combined with the fact that he tried always to present his goods in the most attractive way and to have them sold by the most attractive assistants, accounts for his success. Mr. Sainsbury will always be remembered as the man who raised the old-fashioned cheesemonger’s shop to the dignity of a profession.

“His word was as good as his bond. During the whole 45 years that I dealt with Mr. Sainsbury 1 sold him tens of thousands worth of stuff without ever having a. contract. He had a wonderful judgment of character, so that, ho was always able to get men who would work hard for him and take as much interest in the business as ho did. He was actively engaged in his work as head of the firm right up to the time of his death. Just before Christmas he’ was busy at the firm’s offices in Stamford Street, Blackfriars.”