ROMANCE IN BUSINESS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 20103, 23 March 1928, Page 8

ROMANCE IN BUSINESS

STORY OF BIG CONCERN WIFE’S HELP TO FOUNDER. 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 S 3, of Mr John James Sainsbury, founder of the wellknown London firm of provision merchants.

Airs Sainsbury, who died last year, helped her husband to start a little shop in Drury Lane 60 years ago, and although she had 12 children, she rendered val aide services to the business. The traiinng of the six sons for the work was left chiefly in the hands of Airs Sainsbury, who in recent years travelled with her husband on visits to the numerous branches. To-day 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 Air Sainsbury’s six sons and six grand-

“The girl he married was the daughter of a cheesemaker in Drury Lane,” stated a provision merchant who dealt with the founder of tho firm 45 years ago. “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 builc 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. Air Sainsbury will always be remembered by retailers and wholesale merchants as the man who raised the old-fash-ioned cheesemonger’s shop to the dignity of a profession.

“His word was as good as his bond. During the whole 45 years that L dealt with Air Sainsbury I sold him tens of thousands worth of stuff without ever having a contract. He had a wonderful judgment of character, so that he was always able, to get men who would work hard for him and take, as much interest in the business as he 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 i.i Stamford Street, Black friars. ”