Sainsbury's recruitment advertisement, 1939.

The day after the war was declared  a bulletin was issued to managers requesting an urgent recruitment drive:

Unless we enroll an enormous number of women within the next few weeks, there is a strong possibility that in a few months as our male staff begin to go we shall find it very difficult to carry on.

It was critical not only that the branches remained fully staffed, but that those employed should have sufficient training to keep up Sainsbury's high standards of service and food handling. Sainsbury's competitive edge came to depend more on the skills of its staff as the government took control of the supply of foodstuffs.