Tips from the top – Sainsbury’s CEO

Justin King, Sainsbury’s CEO, has one of the most senior roles in one of the U.K.’s most competitive retail sectors. An interview in last weekend’s Telegraph magazine by Andrew Cave gives some insight into how he sees the industry and why Sainsbury’s are continuing to do well. Their continuing success with 7 years continued growth is despite the grocery market shrinking last year for the first time since 1973. Justin King suggests that the market is shrinking because “people are buying less because they are wasting less.” King became CEO in 2004 and started a “Making Sainsbury’s Great Again’ recovery campaign. The article looks at ways that the company has been successful at ‘identifying customers’ moods and helping them achieve their aims.” Examples are the ‘Feed your family for a fiver’ adverts and being the world's biggest Fairtrade retailer, both ‘striking a chord with customers.’ More on Justin King’s view on retail and the customer at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/9191993/The-Sunday-Interview-Justin-King-chief-executive-of-Sainsburys.html