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From the 1890s onwards, Sainsbury's
new shops shared a common style.
Their long shape provided the maximum space to display
food along the counters and walls. These shops had windows only
at the front so were cool in summer. This was very important
when there was no refrigeration in the stores.
Sainsbury's sold quite a wide variety of foods. Initially the product range was simply butter, milk, cheese and eggs.
However, it soon grew to consist of five departments:
dairy, bacon and hams, poultry and game, cooked meats and fresh meats. Groceries were not introduced until
1903 when John James purchased a grocer's branch at 12 Kingsland High Street, Dalston.
Many of the goods sold by Sainsbury's were seasonal. Game supply was dictated by the
statutory regulation of the shooting season. Pork was considered to be at its best when there was an 'r' in the month.
Eggs were at their best from April until June, and the abundance of milk during the spring and
summer months meant that this was when the best quality 'new grass' butter was available and
prices at the their lowest.
To learn more about the products and their prices at the time click
anywhere on the photograph to zoom into that section, or discover more
general information by selecting from the list below. |
