Supermarket giant Sainsbury’s is changing strategies. Many of its stores will see a reduction in the amount of floor space devoted to fashion and general products, as it stated, “Our ‘Next Level Sainsbury’s’ strategy builds on the success of the Food First strategy we launched in November 2020.”
According to the CEO of Sainsbury’s, the company “will reallocate some space currently occupied by general merchandise and clothing in many locations to create more space for food.”
In addition, it “will tighten the focus of our general merchandise and clothing ranges in stores, ensuring ranges are relevant and irresistible at the right moments and aligning them more closely to customers’ grocery shopping missions.” Only 50 per cent of Sainsbury’s main consumers purchase our apparel and general stuff, which presents a big opportunity, especially as our number of primary shoppers increases.
It’s expected that many smaller retailers would reduce their offerings, while the mega-sized stores will likely keep providing a wide range of trendy options. Fashion is also expected to continue to be a major internet sector.
Where that leaves some third-party brands like Sosandar is unknown. It signed a deal a year ago to offer a carefully chosen assortment of its goods via the grocery industry. A limited selection
would be sold through Sainsbury’s in 2023 under the terms of the new wholesale arrangement; at first, just online, but later in the year, a few additional stores would be added.
