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Inside... In the news 3 Sixth quarter of growth

Your news 4 Karl Holterman joins Shopwatch 5 Hams Hall wins training award 6 Refit brings results at Warren

Street

Features 7 First Port of call 8 How 'Great Food' is contributing

to Making Sainsbury's Great Again

9 The Retail Awards three-page special

12 The colleague uniform is set for a makeover

14 New Taste the Difference stonefruit

15 Preston colleagues test the Morocco range

16 Shining Stars 17 Tell Justin 18 Marathon efforts from Swansea

and Southend

ConriDetitions 20 Win a break in Rimini and a stylish

breakfast set

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M M I'd like to start by saying a huge well M M done and congratulations to all tjie stores who were represented at the Retail Awards on 5 June. It was great to meet so many of you on the night - you are all true wifiners. A special mention goes to the two overall winning stores - Archer Road, who were awarded the title of 'Supermarket of the Year' and Richmond Road local, who won the accolade for 'Convenience Store of the Year'.

Next year there wHI be even more

Q opportunities for J everyone in the

business to be a winner, so watch this space as we will soon

be launching the scheme for 2007. This month, I was pleased to read the diary

entries from Shorehead colleagues on page 7. They really went for it last Christmas on sales of my bid-up line, Dow's Trademark Port. Four colleagues from the store went to Oporto in Portugal to see the port process from field to bottle. They came away experts in port and are now able to offer even better service to our customers in store. Their diaries show they also had some fun whilst they learned.

You will already be aware through your monthly briefings that we are re-designing colleague uniforms. Thank you to all of you who have completed the questionnaire and submitted your comments on how we can improve the comfort, style and durability of this essential clothing. Have a look at page 12 to see how this is progressing.

'Morocco' products are starting to fly out of the marquees! Turn to page 15 to see what colleagues from Preston thought of the products they test-drove for us.

Finally take a look at page 16 to see how Sue Francis, last year's Shining Stars competition winner spent her £5000 worth of holiday vouchers.

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Inthenews Keep up to date with the latest news across the company

Get set for the biggest bonus Colleagues who have achieved their MAC and, MCM targets in addition to the corporate sales targets are set for a three per cent bonus* - that's an extra one-off payment of £300 in the average pay packet.

The news comes as we announce stronger sales figures with profits up 12.2 per cent to £267 million.

This fantastic progress in Mailing Sainsbury's Great Again means that a whopping £52 million will be shared between 117,000 eligible colleagues.

Colleagues at Alton store are celebrating after hearing they will share in the bonus. Store Manager Daryl Copper was delighted to tell his colleagues the good news. He said: "Our MAC results have gone from 88.2 per cent last year to 96.3 per cent thanks to the Newbury process. We've

strengthened the nightshift and follow the routines fanatically. It's made a huge difference and now the colleagues are reaping the rewards. I've heard we're one of the top three stores in the country for MAC improvement."

Alton colleagues have also achieved their MCM and, with the

company achieving the corporate sales target, they will get the full three per cent bonus. Daryl says the secret to MCM is colleague engagement: "Our real success in MCM is in colleague manner. We've got some fantastic people here. They enjoy their work and it shows.'

Flushed with this success, Daryl

and the team are setting their sights on next year's targets. "Our MAC target is 97 per cent for next year. That's tough but we're up for the challenge," he said.

'Subject to satisfying all other eligibility criteria. Colleagues in Supply Chain subject to local Trade Union agreements are not eligible for a bonus payment.

Sixth consecutive quarter of sales growth We announced our first quarter trading statement on 21 June with the news of six consecutive quarters of like-for-lil<e sales growth, proving that the Malting Sainsbury's Great Again recovery plan is on track.

Justin said: "This quarter is a good start to the second year of our Making Sainsbury's Great Again plan. We are now providing a much better and more consistent shopping

f We have listenedTo •istomers and respondedto

what's important to them"

experience. We have listened to customers and responded to what's important to them. We continued our investment in lower prices, raised quality standards and developed new products and our sales performance continues to reflect the restored confidence customers now have in our ability to deliver great products

at fair prices." The excellent sales figures

have meant that stores and the supply chain have been very busy in recent weeks - in

I fact, 18 million cases of product went through the supply chain to

customers in one ' week alone and

colleagues have risen to the challenge superbly. Justin said: "Thank you for working so hard to make it happen."

The numbers game • Sixth consecutive quarter of like-for-like sales growth • Total sales for quarter one up 8.1 per cent • Like-for-like sales up 7.1 per cent (5.7 per cent excluding petrol)

29 stores -14 supermarkets and 15 convenience stores -refurbished in quarter one

Four new convenience stores opened this quarter

I The official Sport Relief T-shirt is now available exclusively at Sainsbury's. We ordered 40 tonnes of Fa irtrade cotton to produce the 200,000 T-shirts. The T-shirts are priced at £8 for adults and £6 for kids and £3 and £2 respectively will go straight to Sport Relief.

You r news All the news from around Sainsbury's

Temperature management comes in from the cold A new refrigeration alarm management system is on its way to stores.

The new system is designed to help store colleagues manage product temperature alarms by simplifying the process. It only alerts the store to imminent problems, allowing product to be removed before it is at risk.

Refrigeration alarm monitoring has been operational since November 2004 and, where the procedures have been adhered to, it has reduced the store workload whilst improving the quality and availability of products in-store.

The system gathers temperature data every 15 minutes from all chilled and frozen fixtures. When an alarm condition is identified, the store is notified via an email. This, in turn, directs the colleague to the refrigeration alarm monitoring website where the alarm can be acknowledged and a task automatically raised on the Facilities Support Service system.

Barnwood store has been working with the new system for a year now. Admin Manager Sally Mills said: "The system is very easy to work with. If one of our chilled or frozen fixtures is over temperature, we'll get an

Getting better every day

'It's been a long time sln

a chilled fixture' email message detailing the problem with a link to the Parasense website that lets us acknowledge the alarm and call a maintenance engineer. It's been a long time since we had to demerchandise a chilled fixture and it's definitely cut down on our stock losses."

with yd Profit Protection Investigator Karl Holterman has become the first colleague to be passed as a member of

^ the Metropolitan Police Shopwatch scheme.

After four weeks of intensive training at Hendon Police Training

I School and a series of examinations I and physical tests, Karl passed with } flying colours. I The Shopwatch scheme is a i partnership which sees retailers join ' forces with the police in order to

support the patrols in and around , our London stores.

"When I was working at Camden I ; was approached by the police and f asked if I was interested in the j scheme," said Karl. "I thought it

s a great opportunity not only for store but for me although I was

the only one in the store that took the police up on their invitation.

"In February I went through a four-week training course at Hendon. It was very hard - I had to go through the same training regular police officers do - but I had to learn it in a much guicker time. What the police have to learn in a week I had to do in a day. Things were watered-down to help but it was really tough and

some people didn't last the full four weeks. The hardest part was the last week which had us in the gym!"

Karl is now the proud owner of a warrant card and has full police powers 24 hours a day. Region 13, where Karl is based, is suddenly looking a lot safer.

"Colleague feedback has been very positive and they can recognise that now I have these skills it helps everyone out. I am now expected to be able to deal with anything that comes my way. The training was amazing and it has given me much more confidence to do my job. I have developed my communication skills and I am very firm but fair - the warrant card definitely comes in handy!

"I have to do a minimum of eight hours a fortnight in the Shopwatch scheme. If I opt to do more hours I can choose areas I would like to volunteer in. For example I can choose to do the Trooping of the Colour, and any special events, and also do evenings and weekends with full-time officers on 999 calls and lots of other areas. The police are very flexible and are very happy for volunteers to help them out." • For more information on the Shopwatch scheme log on to www.shopwatch.info

Innovative learning awarded Barclay'

Hams Hall Learning Centre has won an 'Achievement in Innovation' award, part of the Colleges Innovating with Business (CIB) Award 2006, for its collaboration with North Warwickshire and Hinckley College. Colleagues were awarded prize money of £3000, at the gala dinner held at " ~ ~ Coventry's Ricoh Arena.

The category, sponsor Staffordshire University, rewarded a West Midlands-College that could demonstrate the greatest potential for a product, project or process | developed in associations West Midlands business. ;

Hams Hall colleagues ;

recognised that an improvement in essential skills for the workforce would be beneficial to the business. Everyone who took part in the project achieved the National Numeracy and Literacy Test.

Commenting on the award Training Manager Simon

Gudger said: "The commitment to develop the programme has been overwhelming and the college has adapted to suit our business demands, even visiting the site at midnight to deliver training. We are delighted with the outcome."

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Innovations (from far right) iMining r Simon Gudger and (next to hiiw HR Mana^ Pat Pitt receive their award with the North Warwickshire and Hinckley College

Recycling you can bank on

Six Lon(Jon stores - RichmoiKj, Sury Basin, WancJsworth, Harringay, Low Hall anci WinchmoreHill, trialledanew style of recycling banks as part of a government initiative.

Recycling ancj Resources

Manager James McKechnie sai(J: "The aim of the trial was to see how much the local recycling rate might go up if the recycling banks were smart, well-run ancj promoted locally."

Both the promotion and the smart new banks worked as recycling at the six stores increased by 13 per cent and the banks proved very popular with customers.

Following the success of the trial, we will now be paying for our own recycling bank service instead of relying on local authorities. We start this year

with 50 London stores. This is the biggest

customer-facing recycling initiative we have ever done which will result in the collection of paper, cans, glass and plastic bottles. These materials will then be recycled into products and packaging that we can buy back.

James added: "Alongside our banks will be our preferred textile bank operators - Oxfam or the Salvation Army. This will also enable customers to have clothes, shoes, books, CDs, games etc, collected for sale by the charities to raise funding.

"We are also trying to make it easier for our customers to recycle plastics. We now stamp products with 'please recycle' on plastics most councils collect and with 'sorry not recyclable' on the ones they

don't. We will

also continue to look for alternatives like compostable packaging."

Help encourage colleagues and customers to recycle by pointing them in the direction of the new banks.

Card is the new cash

Treat every £ as your own

July 2006 sees the introduction of the Company Procurement Card from GlobalExpense which will remove the need for using cash from your cash office or tills, improve security, controls and reduce administration tasks.

The project team carried out extensive trials In Scottish, London and North West stores and here's what some colleagues had to say...

" I t is great that managers have much more visibility and

complete control over expenditure in their stores."

Pete McDonough - Regional Operations Manager

"A much better process on expenditure in-store. it's a fantastic way to cut costs in the company and treat every pound as your own. The credit card is guick and really efficient." Mandy Bucldngham - Admin Manager, Woolwich store

"Enables line managers to see every penny spent on sundries and to challenge overspend. The procurement card gives me much more visible control on spend and transactions are simple to process." Keith Simson - Head of Payroll Services

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR YOUR STORE?

J_ £ as your own' you will be changing the way you are able to spend in store.

The Company Procurement Card replaces petty cash and will be held by your PTM and Admin Managers.

The PTM will be able to buy items from your Colleague Council fund using the card.

Store Managers will authorise every item spent on behalf of the store.

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Small but perfectly formed There's been a small miracle at Warren Street. The Central store in the heart of London has reopened after a refit - to fantastic sales figures.

Store Manager Mike Isted explained: "Before the refit a lot of our shelving and fridges were high-level and difficult to reach. We took out a gondola at the back of the store and widened the aisles. At the same time, we lowered them by 2ft so everything is now low-level. It's completely transformed the store. Although it's no bigger it looks twice the size!"

But the refit team didn't stop at

the layout. They took out 2,000 slow selling or duplicated lines and introduced 1,000 new products - and the customers love the result.

Mike said: "The new lines are proving really popular - and customers haven't even noticed the products we've lost. Mainly because they weren't buying them, anyway!

"The new lines have really enhanced the range. We've got a new Food to Go counter, a new salad bar and a bakery that's seen an incredible 40 per cent uplift in sales. Frozen food has also seen a 50 per cent uplift."

The produce department has also seen a 20 per cent uplift -despite having no extra space. "Enhanced lighting makes for a brighter atmosphere and we've now got in-store TVs advertising Sainsbury's products. It's a fantastic place to work," said Mike. "All the colleagues have been absolute stars. They've gone through some pretty dramatic changes in the way they work but they've really embraced the change. I'm proud of them all."

Overall, Warren Street has seen a 15 per cent uplift in sales since the refit - now that's good going!

Impressive five go =the international \ IChailenge - more than any

iother retail chain - proving just I how good our wine is.

Two of the gold medals went to Taste the Difference Pouilly Fume, a classic Loire Sauvignon Blanc with clean

^gooseberry fruit flavours fwhich is great with seafood and chicken dishes. Taste the Difference Douro also won gold. This wine demonstrates exactly what Portugal's Douro region is capable of and will rival many wines twice the price.

This is the latest major win for the wine team this year. In February, we won the coveted Supermarket of the Year trophy at the Off Licence News Awards as well as the Supermarket Wine Retailer of the Year at the International .Wine Challenge and European Retailer of the Year at the International Wine and Spirits Competition 2005, making us (the only supermarket to hold four major industry awards simultaneously.

The white stuff for organic shop^^ rs Organic shoppers can now choose a new brand -Sainsbury's Farm Promise -products from farms that are in the process of converting to organic standards.

In the past, the time and cost implications involved in the process have proved to be a deterrent for farmers, but our scheme will cover all the additional associated costs during the period of conversion. And it will offer shoppers more

choice to meet the rising demand for British organic food and drink.

The scheme kick-starts with milk as dairy is one of the fastest growth areas of the organic movement and we have over 80 per cent growth in organic milk.

This is the first time a major retailer has worked directly with farmers to encourage them to undertake the change to organic. We are committed to working with the farmer for a minimum of three years and three months - the

longest term milk contract between retailer and farmer in the industry.

Mark Taylor, Dairy Crest Commercial Director, supports the scheme, saying: "This is an innovative approach to solving some of the problems faced by the organic milk supply chain. It will help address the availability of British organic milk in the future and is also a real step towards bringing farmers and customers closer together."

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Shorehead BWS colleagues lain Carruthers, Chris Batley, Gillian Speight and Christine Martin went all-out to maximise sales of Dow's Trademark Port at Christmas. Their efforts won them a trip to Oporto. Here's a peek at their diary... It's 7.15am at Wakefield train station. Ticl<ets, passports, Portuguese dictionary all present and correct. Off we go to Heathrow.

When we arrive in Portugal the first stop is the Grahams Port Lodge. Generation after generation of the Symington family have been involved in the port industry and the family is responsible for more than one-quarter of all superior port sold in the world.

A tour of the cellars revealed the awesome sight of row after row of pipes (barrels that hold 550 litres of port) maturing in a cool, dark environment. The pipes are all at different stages of maturity. The smell was just divine and it hit us as we walked through the door -woody with soft aromas of port.

We were then treated to a show of master craftsmanship -coopers making and repairing the pipes in the traditional way using

all the old tools and equipment. The pipes are marked with stencils before being shipped to the UK. There was even a stencil for Huddersfield. Well, I guess Huddersfield folk have always consumed large quantities of port - not just last Christmas!

In the tasting room, a particular favourite of ours was the Altano Reserva 2003 (Sainsbury's buyers, take note!). Tasting the ports was a real experience. There are too many to mention but the grand finale was a bottle of 1882 tawny port - the colour was a rich, nutty brown with amber highlights, a nose of scrumptious caramel, toffee and molasses. The taste of succulent sweetness

was balanced with just a touch of acidity - absolutely fantastic.

Over lunch, we met Peter and Paul Symington. Peter is the brains behind the amazing technology of the robotic lagare, computer-operated stainless steel heated tanks with silicon feet that replicate the traditional treading of grapes. These have been

introduced because it's hard to find farm hands who are willing to tread grapes for up to four hours after spending

12 hours in the field! That evening we tried a very

refreshing aperitif of chilled white port with tonic and a slice of lemon. We had never tried it before and we'll definitely be promoting it to customers as a 'Try something new today' idea.

The following day we went to Ouinta dos Malvedos where the traditional granite lagares stand side-by-side with and the new robotic lagares. We tasted ports made in the traditional way and the robotic way and traditional came out tops for us.

You can read books and listen to lectures, but nothing compares with actually being there. We have all learned so much and will be sharing our experience with our colleagues and customers. To colleagues in other stores, start thinking of how you are going to sell the most port next year because we've already started!

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Everybody's playing their part in Making Sainsbury's Great Again - not least the Food and Innovation centre

Here at Sainsbury's we're passionate about great food. Whetiier it's mouth-watering marinades, piquant curries, succulent steaks or any other fabulous food, we want to sell the most delicious products in our stores

To make sure we keep our products - and enthusiasm - in tip-top condition, Trading Director Mike Coupe sponsors a programme called "Great Food" part of Making Sainsbury's Great Again.

Managed by Brand Director Judith Batchelar, "Great Food" is a about providing exciting new

products and keeping customer and colleague confidence in our quality food offer.

Judith said: "Our commitment to exceeding customers' expectations for great products is underlined by our industry-leading Food and Innovation Centre at the Holborn Store Support Centre. The Food centre has a series of well-equipped

kitchens where we prepare inspiring recipes and

food samples, a food theatre where we host cookery demonstrations, classes and other events, numerous sampling areas, plus a set of

sensory booths

for controlled product appraisal. The team, led by Ian Jarmarkier, is responsible for driving our quality and innovation agenda and, in particular, protecting our customers' interests and acting on their feedback."

packaging they come in. If we identify an issue with one of our products that could disappoint customers, we have robust processes in place to check how widespread the problem is and deal with it as quickly as possible."

A constant flow of new and innovative food is essential to providing excitement and interest for customers. While product developers focus on specific food categories, the Food and Innovation Centre team look at the broader subject of emerging food trends and exciting new technologies. The team organise regular trips to new restaurants and other countries to give the product developers the stimulus and inspiration to create delicious, new and authentic food.

Ian said: "A recent trip to Australia has resulted in a revolution in our summer food range for this year. You will find some fantastic marinated and seasoned raw meat and fish products on the shelf now. The Australians make it really simple to create an impressive and varied barbecue that's a world away from the normal burgers and sausages."

The skills and knowledge of the whole team are also important for delivering the best food. Every week, Ian and his team run masterclasses on key food subjects from poultry to pastry and tomatoes to Thai food. Each one is delivered by experts in that particular field. Ian continued: "We have also set up an internal cookery course so that our food teams

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The centre is used extensively by the team of product developers and product technologists when looking at new food ideas with the suppliers and checking the quality of existing products. "In fact," said Ian Jarmarkier, "we review more than 500 products every week to check that they

meet our precise quality requirements - from how

they taste, to the

have the advantage of being great cooks themselves. The course recently kicked off with a session on pasta run by Jamie Oliver.

"Overall, we're focused on securing our position as the number one food retailer, and the team, facilities and programmes we have in place will ensure that our customers will be delighted by the results."

this year's Retail Award , ^ « f -

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stars in your aisles There was a definite air of anticipation at Birmingiiamon 5 June as 1,600 excited colleagues gathered for the Retail Awards

Colleagues who arrived In the afternoon joined In the supplier challenges. The Interactive games got everyone in the party mood. Where else would you get the chance to play supermarket sweep by negotiating an obstacle course with a floor cleaner? Or don an apron and chef's hat for a Ready, Steady, Cook challenge? Competitive spirits kicked In for the Gallahers challenge as teams competed against each to solve the puzzle and piece together the giant jigsaw against the clock. And an interactive game brought home the MCM messages. It was a great way to learn more about our suppliers and the products on our shelves.

The invitation said dress to impress-and our colleagues didn't disappoint. This was a special night so posh frocks and suits were the order of the day It's not often you're nominated as one of the top one per cent in your company

award. It's so nice to b' quite take It in'

First up were the victorious convenience winners - the first time they had been included in the awards. All in all, there were five new categories for 2006. For the first time, cleaning, night shift, security, frozen and convenience teams were recognised for their work behind the scenes. 2007

will see even more opportunities for everyone in the business to be a winner.

The 33 winners all revelled in the spotlight. Mark Anderson, Hedge End's Produce Manager, was so excited to win that he wrestled Ruby Wax to the floor in his enthusiasm. As he came off the stage beaming, he said: "We like to have a bit of fun at our store - as you can seel"

As the last awards were given out, it was time for the announcement of the Supermarket and Convenience Stores of the Year.

Irene Spratley, produce and floral colleague at Hedge End, winner of Produce and Floral Team of the Year

And the winners

j Supermarkets ^ T |

^ ^ &S[W(^^^^™ Cleaning

Clothing

Core Grocery

Customer Service

Deli

Fish Counter

Fresh Foods

Frozen

General Merchandise

Groceries Online

HR, Admin....

Meat Counter

Nightshift

Petrol

Pharmacy

Produce & Floral

Restaurant

Security

Warehouse SI Stock C o ^ ^ ^ m

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March

Washington

Straiten

Thetford

Rayleigh Weir

Shorehead

Straiton

Lincoln

Merton

Rustington

Denton

Colchester Avenue

Forestside

Dronfield

Warren Heath

Hedge End

Arnold

Nine Elms

Tamworth m;

Store of the Year

Ml^nvenience ia Place

imonside

Cleaning Cobblers Hall Customer Service Sidney Street Fresh Foods Core Grocery

Fetter Lane Sutton park

Maidenhead Woodlands

Store of the Year

Head of Convenience Jim McCarthy described the winning store, Lower Richmond Road: "This store has demonstrated quality in every aspect of store life - behind the scenes and in front of the customer. Store Manager Steve Richmond has had a fantastic year with double-digit like-for-like sales growth and remarkable performance on MCM and MAC."

Steve said: "I'm stunned and I really wasn't expecting the award. I don't know why because we have done fantastically well but I truly never thought we'd win.

"I've never won anything In my life before but this Is the best prize I could ever have Imagined. I'm chuffed to pieces and so are the team. It's great that the colleagues have got the recognition they deserve.

"I may be the Store Manager but without our colleagues we are nothing. If I don't come In to work, the store still runs. But If they are not here, we don't have a store. They are an absolutely fantastic bunch of people who work hard because they enjoy their jobs. If anything, they're more thrilled than me. Sometimes you forget how valued you are, but an event like this really brings It home. I'm a very happy bunny!"

Asked for the secret of the store's success, Steve said "It's simple: we do what we're paid to do, we put the products on the shelves, we sell them to customers, and we're cheerful while we do It."

Phil Ronan, Store Manager at Archer Road, was just as thrilled to win the Supermarket Store of the Year. He said: "We were nominated In three of the

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department categories so I took six colleagues with me from the meat, fresh food and pharmacy departments. We didn't win those categories so we were a bit disappointed but this has more than made up for It.

"I've been a Store Manager for five years and this is the best thing that's happened to me at Salnsbury's. And It's brilliant that those colleagues were there, too. It's because of them - and everyone else at the store - that we won.

"Last year we had a great scorecard with 13 out of 14 KPIs all green so I knew we were In with a shout. But we were up against

At your convenience... Lower Richmond road celebrate bagging convenience Store of the Year

some other cracking stores so I wasn't counting my chickens. I was really nervous when Ken made the announcement and the whole table erupted. It was a fantastic moment.

"The secret of our success Is our colleagues. If you've got good colleagues you'll get good results. It's as simple as that and I'm Immensely proud of them all."

And Ken McMelkan agreed: "This award encapsulates everything we've talked about tonight. Archer Road stands out from the crowd - It has delivered excellent MCM, MAC and Talkback results and colleagues say It's a great place to work."

"There have been two armed

for everyone involved. But we came through it and our

security is better for it"

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Trousers, blouses, skirts and shirts Bored with your blouse? Fed up with your fleece? The colleague uniform is set for a makeover

The colleague uniform is set for a new look and you can have your say.

The consultation process started earlier this year with in-depth listening groups at 16 stores and depots. Then last month every colleague got the chance to air their views on the look of the new uniform. Project Manager John Green explained: "Uniforms are a really hot topic. We have had hundreds of letters to Tell Justin commenting on all aspects of the uniform ranging from the cut of the trousers to the fabric of the blouses.

"Our colleagues come in all shapes and sizes and it's important that they are comfortable with the clothes -after all, they're the ones who have to wear them!"

It's about seven years since the uniform was last redesigned and there have been leaps and bounds in fabric technology since then. Durability, washability and colourfastness are all aspects that have improved in that time. Then there's the issue of ethical sourcing. "We want to know that our uniforms are manufactured ethically and that we are not unwittingly exploiting the people who make them."

"Uniforms are different from

your own clothes," said John. "They need to withstand a lot of wear and tear - and a lot of washing. We ask a lot of our uniforms so they have to be easy to wash, easy to dry, easy to iron, hardwearing and stylish. It's a tough combination but we're determined to get it right so our colleagues can be proud - and comfortable - wearing the new uniform."

John has set up a steering group to look at all aspects of introducing the new uniform. The 15 members represent all uniform wearers throughout Sainsbury's. So whether you work in the supply chain, a bakery, the nightshift or anywhere in between, if you wear a uniform your views are important.

We have also included specialist designers from our supplier. Dimensions Corporatewear. This group clothe over 1 million workers in UK.

Cost It can be costly to introduce a new uniform to 150,000 colleagues, so that's one area that John and the steering group will be keeping a close eye on. He explained: "Justin and the board agreed that now is the right time to redesign the

colleague uniform but

they said there must be no additional cost to the business and should be in line with our new branding. It'll be a delicate act to balance colleagues' wishes against cost but it's important to do this right - we may not get the chance for another seven years.

"Taking all our views into account and ensuring we make and design clothes to meet our needs takes quite some time. After we have found the right fabrics we have to find the right factories to make the new clothes. We don't know how long this will take yet, but our latest estimate is that any new garments will not be trialled by wearers until early next year."

The questionnaire was the first step in getting feedback from every colleague. "It's important that the questionnaire was anonymous so that we could maintain the confidentiality of everyone who answered," said John. "But we wanted to be able to analyse the data in as

many different ways as possible. For example, online colleagues have different needs from pharmacy colleagues.

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yet all their views are important." Jill Grundell and June

Shepherd are two members of the uniform steering group who have been listening closely to their colleagues. Jill, from Dewsbury store, said: "We're all really looking forward to the new uniform. It's early days but I'm finding it really interesting. I had no idea there were so many things to think about.

"I've asked my

WHO'S WHO ON THE STEERING GROUP John Green - Procurement Bill Mackay - Procurement Pam Johnson - Chaddesden store Jill Grundell - Dewsbury store Jane Colcombe - Heaton Park store Brenden Pitts - Hams Hall depot Lizzie Burrows - Deansgate Local store June Shepherd - Loughborough store / Colleague Council Sarah Trowbridge - Customer Service Helen Buck - Marketing Colin Moffat -HR Ian McGinty - Dimensions Corporatewear Charlotte Jay - Dimensions Corporatewear Adam Brooks - Overseas House Local store Karen McManus - Overseas House Local store

colleagues for their feedback and there's one thing they all agree about - that fleece has to go! It looks awful after a few washes and orange doesn't flatter nnany people. The new brand colours look nice and I think they'll be much more popular. The ladies' trousers are also a subject of hot debate. The cut is a bit old-fashioned so lots of the younger colleagues have asked for something a bit more stylish.

"I think a body warmer or gilet would be good -and it must have lots of pockets. I work on price

control and I'm always losing pens and pieces of paper. I know that's true for other colleagues, too."

Polycotton June asked her colleagues at Loughborough store for their feedback - and the main issue (apart from the fleece!) was the ladies' blouse. "I know that cotton is expensive and more difficult to launder," she said. "But maybe we could go back to polycotton. I find the current blouse cold in winter and hot in summer so I'd welcome a change."

June's colleagues all like to look smart so the men would choose a shirt instead of a polo top. "They told me they don't feel smart enough in a polo shirt," she said. "Another piece of feedback from replenishment colleagues, in particular, is that they would welcome knee pads. And, just like Jill, we all agree that pockets are a must."

If you've got strong views about your uniform and you want your views to be heard, contact one of the steering group (left).

TIMELINE March 2006

May 2006

June 2006

Winter 2006

Early 2 0 0 7 ^ ^ ^

Mid-2007

Listening groups in 16 locations

All-colleague questionnaire

Data analysed

^ ^ H | « t i a l designs for considerati(y|^H9B

Fabric and manufacturers sourced

Wearer trial in a small number • 1 of stores • • •

Roil-out starts

Productnews The latest products coming to a store near you

Stone me!

is full of flavour and juicy as ever'

The summer season sees the launch of an extended range of Taste the Difference stonefruit full of flavour and as juicy as ever.

What makes a Taste the Difference fruit? It is a specially sweet and aromatic variety which is left on the tree for as long as possible to develop maximum flavour. Asl it is riper when picked, it has ">"---'

Uverniehl St-nji.

to be handled very carefully " " l ^ Z ; " but the great thing is it's -^T'X^. ready to eat the moment it's bought.

There are many different varieties of peaches, nectarines, plums and cherries but only the best tasting largest fruits are selected.

Look out for the new range of loose Taste the Difference peaches, nectarines and plums and Taste the Difference speciality stonefruit including Donut peaches and pluots - a

delicious cross between an apricot and plum.

Turn to page 20 for a chance to win a break in Rimini thanks to Taste the Difference stone fruit.

A guilt-free treat After years in development, we've launched a new Australian wine with a difference. Early Harvest Semillon Sauvignon Blanc is significantly lower in alcohol and calories than the nation's best-loved wines -but crucially, has all the taste and body of a classic Australian white wine.

With millions of Brits gearing up for the summer and bikini diets beginning in earnest, the launch of this wine couldn't be more timely. Wine is seen as a treat by many, but at just 9.5 percent alcohol, our customers can now have their cake and eat it!

The secret behind the wine's unigue formulation is revealed

m the name. Early ^ ^ H Harvest Semillon | ^ | Sauvignon 2005 f r < ^ ^ | South Austra l iaJs^^H

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Wine buyer Julian Dyer said: "Our research shows that customers are put off low-alcohol wines due to their perceived | poor taste 1

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today's more health-conscious consumer. concerned about alcohol intake and calories, yet who doesn't want to compromise on taste. Most Australian white

t average between 12.5 pand 14.5 degrees

alcohol, so this wine represents a genuine point of difference and

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Top to toe treatments

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b' W^ W^l •'''- "~

!

We've got manicures and pedicures nailed thanks to Champneys. The range is available in selected stores nationwide so now it's even easier to treat yourself to a little more of that Champneys Spa luxury.

Each new product has been designed to create beautiful hands and feet that you're not afraid to show off. Special ingredients include essential oils such as orange and mandarin, moisturising shea butter, sweet

almond, jojoba and walnut oils, soothing and wound-healing tea tree oil and finally, lots of essential vitamin E.

Our manicure collection has two great pampering products for the hands, nails and cuticles, plus a handy manicure gift set.

Our pedicure collection has also been created to give you gorgeous feet.

The instantly Reviving Foot Soak has been designed for a great home pedicure.

1

Summer is looking hotter than ever Now the temperatures have started to rise, Preston colleagues had a day under the sun to Try something new this summer by transforming their gardens with the latest from the Morocco range.

BERYL SIMMONS General Merchandise Assistant Two stacking chairs £84.99 for two

"These are very easy to '^"' !mble and it's great that you

:• :;j can buy separate 5 that come

,..v,v,ifferent styles. They are

ry sturdy yet fnfortable

.ikthey ...super

ng set. I lid buy them ausethey je a lovely

_ .itemporary look and because they are wooden they can go with anything - they look great."

Loverly- fo

CARPENTER Marquee Assistant Wooden Lounger £59.99

"I think it's a fantastic price as it's very comfortable and easy to use. They are very easy to clean and store away when the weather isn't so good and the cushions can match with pretty much anything. They are selling well and definitely the best buy from the range in my

opinion. I have already bought one for my garden and love to relax

i in it when the weather is good."

AMANDA ROBBINS Marquee Assistant Five Gas Burner BBO £299.99

"The BBQ looks extremely impressive and is a must for anyone who likes to entertain in their garden. The hot plate is an added bonus for my husband and it also keeps me happy as there is an easy removable drip tray that makes it very easy to clean. If I had one of these I would party,

SUMAYYA VOHARA Marquee Assistant Zinc Planter £9.99

"It has a very contemporary style and a fantastic shape and a wide base which makes it very ^^ sturdy It - 4 ^ •"* comes in a colour which goe: well with t rest of yo( garden no,

! matter what the style. The Si perfect, not too small and not too big. It's a great finishing touch to any

? garden."

If you'd like your store or depot to take part in the Journal's product tests, then get in touch with the editorial team (address details on page 20)

'$

Shiningstars Winners of the Easter bakery and Sainsbury's Magazine sales competitions

Hot cross Colleagues at Bridgnorth and Victoria Place are hot cross bun hot shots after winning this year's Easter sales competition

Hot cross buns went flying off the shelves at Easter - but nowhere more so than Victoria Place, which saw an impressive 1,583 per cent increase in sales over target, mailing Victoria Place (pictured below) the winning Convenience store.

Duty manager Deanne Cameron said it was all down to good baking and a lot of hard work. "We had hot cross buns on display everywhere," she said. "We've got a really dedicated bakery team here and everyone in the store got behind the competition. The cashiers played their part by encouraging our customers to trade up to two packets if they only had one in their basket."

The promotion was so successful that the store increased its order - and th buns sold like hot cakes! Colleagues were rewarded with 75,000 Shining Stars.

Bridgnorth colleagues

Sue's joined the jet set

insbur Ignorth and : Victoria Place

>n't the only in the

iss bun _mpetition.

} Zone winners • were:

Zone 1 * Barkingside

Zone 2 Shirley

' Zone 3 IP Chipping Ongar

Everyone in the store — got behind the competition" pen

Zone 4 Street Zones

(pictured above) also got behind the competition - so much so that the store was 233 per cent above target. Duty Ivlanager Nina Ismet said extra labour was the key to success. "The bakery team put in extra hours and even got in

more eguipment to cope with demand. We did a lot of in-store sampling so customers could get a taste of our quality. Lesley, our In-store Sampler, even donned bakers' whites and lent a hand to keep up with demand."

The team effort won the store 150,000 Shining Stars. Each of the bakery colleagues have been awarded 5,000 Shining Stars and the remainder of the points are being spent on a family fun day for all colleagues on 2 July - the store's second birthday.

Across all stores, we sold an impressive £8 million of hot cross buns this year.

Hot off the press... Eighteen stores are celebrating after winning Shining Stars for their sales of Sainsbury's Magazine for the period February to April. The highest-achieving store in each zone was awarded 25,000 points, second place 15,000 and third place 10,000.

Congratulations to all the winners for doing a fantastic job in increasing sales of Sainsbury's Magazine.

The winners Zonel Crystal Palace, Clapham, Streatham Common Zone 2 Liphook, West WIckham, Horsham Zone 3 Queens Road, Bury St Edmunds, Hornchurch Zone 4 Taunton, Didcot, Chippenham Zones Stirling, Berryden, York Zones 6 to 8 Bothwell Street Local, Crowborough, Woodlands Local

It's been an eventful year for Sue Francis, Duty Manager from Hankridge Farm. Last summer, she was the lucky winner of £5,000 of holiday vouchers when she won the Shining Stars prize draw.

Since then, Sue and her husband Mark have taken four luxury holidays - and they still have more than £1,000 left to spend!

"It couldn't have come at a better time," said Sue. "It was our

30th wedding anniversary earlier this year - and the win meant we could really celebrate in style.

"For our wedding anniversary we spent 10 days in the Maldives -partly because we had heard it's such a great place for snorkelling.

"It was amazing. We had such a wonderful time and the hospitality was superb. On our wedding anniversary, the hotel sprinkled hundreds of rose petals over our bed. The staff were

fantastic and couldn't have made us feel more welcome. And, as for the snorkelling, that was out of this world. We're definitely going to go back."

But in the meantime Sue and Mark are planning how to spend the remainder of their vouchers. "It's been a year to remember," said Sue. "We celebrated our 30th anniversary in style and I've just been promoted to Duty Manager. I'm so grateful to Sainsbury's for all these opportunities."

TellJustin With over 400 suggestions flooding in every period, Tell Justin is a great way for colleagues to get their good ideas heard. Here are some of the top suggestions that crop up in every postbag...

Can we have two discount cards, one for the second nominated user? Also, 15 per cent all year-round and discount in the petrol station for non-petrol items?

Discount cards can only be used by employees and a nominated person at the same address. If we were to issue cards to individuals not employed by Sainsbury's, we would not be able to control and monitor usage, which could lead to a risk of fraud.

^ '""''t: . . . . i ^ - ^ ^

PfRsn*'

It's not financially possible to give the extra five per cent discount permanently due to the small profit made on many items, However, we are able to do this at key times of the year.

In the petrol station, we are limited by our forecourt systems which do not enable us to capture the discount and make the required returns to the Inland Revenue for colleague benefits.

You will be pleased to know that we are working on changing the systems in the PFS to allow colleagues to receive a discount on non-fuel items and we hope to have a solution in place by summer.

Let's offer products for diabetics We cannot make recommendations about specific products because each person with diabetes has different dietary needs. Research shows it is the person's entire diet and the on­going management of their blood sugar levels that affect their condition, rather than specific foods. This means it would not be safe or correct for us to recommend a specific product as "suitable for diabetics". However, we work with Diabetes UK to provide practical help on food choices for customers with diabetes. Our website

www.sainsburys.co.uk/food/ I specialdiets has a 'virtual' 'store tour for diabetics as well I as a very large selection of I recipes.

Can we have handheld "canners? We are looking into this and hope to introduce hand scanners into stores in the future.

Can we have a bettc telephone system? }

trial of a new system at Newbury. We hope to be able to integrate our phones with our front-end management system so it will be easier for colleagues and customers to speak to some— within the stol during all our opert hours. j

Can we play music in-store? We have run music trials in the past to try to understand how music affects our customers' shopping habits. Although 92 per cent liked it, the 8 per cent who didn't said it was so frustrating they would shop elsewhere. And those who did like it, saw it as only slightly beneficial so we decided not to play music in our stores. However, we have decided to play Christmas music during the festive season in stores that have a large general merchandise area.

mm mave a f inge

sponge on check' to open carrier bags T h ' s i s ^ ^ « p u l a r s u g g e a l H I w e decided not to go ahead with it for health and safety reasons. Thescj, sponges could contain j ^ stagnant water which may become contaminated with bacteria from so many people using them.

T^w^fTS^'^^'^mtfMniy^iTi

,ducing a gift card that can also be topped up and used as a savings card. We hope to have this ready in the next financial year after April 2007.

Can we change the uniform?

We are currently reviewing the uniform design and style and are holding listening groups with colleagues to understand their views about what can be improved. Turn to page 12 fo more information.

As part of our Lea Stores project, we wTIT investigate having a digital product fine and price-check fa shop floor. This will hel^ improve efficiency for customers and colleagues. This is a long-term project.

Can we have better price labels? New, deeper, store shelving which will allow us to have larger and more detailed shelf edge labels is currently going into new and refurbished stores. We hope to extend this to all stores later this year.

b ^ ^ ^ P ^ ^ ^ If you've got a MI i ji.Fidea, simply write it down on one of the suggestion cards and send it off in the internal post

Marathon efforts Two very special colleagues ran this year's London Marathon and told the Journal the tales behind the 26 miles

Swansea Deli Counter Assistant Jane Tucker ran the London Marathon for a charity very close to her heart - Children with Leukaemia. When Jane's son was four he contracted the disease and the charity is leading the way in trying to conguer the illness through pioneering research.

"When my son was diagnosed and going through his treatment it was a very stressful time," Jane explained. "So I started going to the gym to relieve how stressed I was feeling."

Her son James has now been off treatment for four years and through the tough times Jane could always rely on her colleagues.

"My colleagues have been very supportive through it all and they all got behind me when I decided to take part in the marathon. We raised £4,000 but this could _ still get higher. One customer pledged £2,000 which was fantastic.

"The marathon was great -1 absolutely loved the atmosphere. I would love to do it again and get a better

I I M I I l l l i l l l l l l l i

time. Towards the end I was helping a lot of people who were about to give up -1 couldn't let them stop so close to the end - not after all the training they had put in. I might have done a better time too if I had stopped talking -1 didn't shut up all the way round!

"I'm so happy that I could raise this money for Children with Leukaemia. They are pioneering research into tailoring treatments to individuals. No child is the same when they go through chemo and this charity is helping to make treatments more effective and less punishing to reduce the risks of side effects."

Southend Checkout Operator Richard Blois completed his 21st London Marathon and his 79th 26-miler all at the tender age of 79 - that's one marathon for every year of his life!

Richard ran, as he has done for the last decade, for the Little Havens Children's Hospice and has raised more than £55,000 through his running. "I run for them because I have had eight children and I have ten

My colleagues have been very

me when I decided to run the marathon

^.Running man... C*T?ichard poses

with his trophies

grandchildren who thankfully have all been healthy," said Richard. "Some of the children that this charity looks after won't even live long enough to hit their teenage years. The hospice does great work."

Richard is well above average when it comes to running. He has won 51 trophies, a European Championship in the veteran category and he's aiming to capture the world record in the over 80s group next year.

BRIEFS

The Lion, the Witch and the supermarket Water Lane colleagues couldn't contain their excitement when The Chronicles ofNarnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe DVD hit stores. General Merchandise Manager

fin-training lEmma

Benton decided to deck the supernnarket out with a giant wardrobe whicb^she nnanaged to borrow from a nearby shop and, along with General Merchandise Manager Belinda Rolfe and General Merchandise Assistant Steve Dawkin, she jumped into character as they dressed up as the stars of the film to entertain customers.

"It was fabulous and created a lot of interest from customers," said Belinda. "The timing was perfect as it was half-term so a lot of customers had their children with them. My cousin made my costume and it looked great."

The effort was worth it as the store beat the region in sales of the DVD during the two days of the transformation.

• STREET store celebrated its 10th birthday with a day packed full of activities. These included face painting, a colouring competition, food sampling and a photocall of all the original colleagues from when the store opened. Store Manager Julie Archard, who worked as a deli colleague when the store first opened its doors, said: " I t was a fantastic fun day with great feedback from our customers."

• NUNEATON colleague Julie Brown likes to keep her love for working for Sainsbury's in the family. Not only does her son work for the company but her three year-old grand daughter. Faith, has also caught the bug and likes to dress up in Julie's uniform. • KEMPSHOTT Checkout Managers Jan Vermeulen and Janet Hartgill raised £887.70 for St Michael's Hospice in Basingstoke by offering a flower wrapping service over Valentine's & Mother's Day. • SITTINGBOURNE Customer Service Assistant Deb Townsley, General Merchandise Manager Sally Marling and

General Assistant Laraine Bean raised £250 for Children's Hospice Damelza House by dressing up and collecting during the launch of the latest Harry Potter film in store. • STANWAY colleague Sandy Thorton passed her NVQ Level 3 for Pharmacy, not level 2 as stated in the last issue of the Journal.

• PRESTON Store Manager Julia Blackett had a visit from The Royal British Legion to present the store with a certificate of thanks for help with their fundraising. • WARREN HEATH Photo Shop celebrated their opening with a competition for customers. Five lucky winners walked away with digital cameras as prizes.

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SPORT RELIEF ROUNDUP Remember to send in the stories and photos from your Sport Relief shenanigans to the Journal. Contact details are on page 20.

Wingoodies For your chance to win some goodies answer the questions below!

What start to the day? What's your idea of a perfect breakfast? Enjoying warm croissants in Paris? Freshly baked Danish pastries in Copenhagen? Or a traditionai Scottish breakfast In Edinburgh? This summer LURPAK® is giving away breakfast in one of Europe's top hotels every morning, until 2:9 July 2006. Each lucky winner will be whisked away for a weekend break to one of 13 different European destinations, choosing from Paris, Rome, Edinburgh, Copenhagen, and many more. Plus, five runners-up every day will win an AdiAlessi

breakfast set worth over £400.

To celebrate the launch of the LURPAK® Perfect Breakfast campaign, the

Journal is offering readers the chance

to create your own

LURPAK® Perfect Breakfast by

winning a stylish AdiAlessi

breakfast set. To e in with a chance

simply answer the questions on the entry form.

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iBR^ A i e F l ^ SET'

WELL DONE TO THE MAY WINNERS... The Olympus digital cameras went to veteran Mrs DJ Coppock and Julie Woodger from The Moor and the Lindt dinner party was won by Ken Taylor from Rye Park depot

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Taste of Summer This summer look out for the extended range of Taste the Difference stonefruit bursting with juiciness and flavour.

There are many different varieties of peaches, nectarines, plums and cherries but only the best tasting largest fruits are selected for the Taste the Difference range. The fruit is carefully ripened and is ready to eat at the time of purchase.

To celebrate the launch of the new Taste the Difference range the Journal is giving away a luxurious two night break for two at the fabulous Grand Hotel in Rimini, Italy, with a Visit to a stonefruit orchard. All costs including transfers to and from airports, meals and €200.00 spending money are included. For your chance to win answer the guestions on the entry form.

Question 1: Which store won a trip to Oporto for their sales

of Dow's Trademark Port?

Question 2: What's a pluot?

Question 3/T!ebreaker: Which store won Convenience

Store of the Year at the Retail Awards?

Name:

Address:

Work location:

Contact tel no:

Entries to: Competitions, Sainsbury's Journal, 33 Holborn, London EC1N 2HT, to arrive no later than 27 July. Entrants must work for or be retired from the Salnsbury Group. Only one entry per person. Photocopies are acceptable.

^

Write to: Sainsbury's Journal, Internal Communications, 33 Holborn, London, EC1N 2HT. e-mail: internal.comms@sainsburys.co.uk or telephone: 020 7695 0055 or fax: 020 7282 8042. General Sainsbury's Inquiries: 020 7695 6000 Veterans' inquiries: 020 7695 7190. Produced by Beetroot Publishing

Trousers, blouses, skirts and shirts Bored with your blouse? Fed up with your fleece? The colleague uniform is set for a makeover

The colleague uniform is set for a new look and you can have your say.

The consultation process started earlier this year with in-depth listening groups at 16 stores and depots. Then last month every colleague got the chance to air their views on the look of the new uniform. Project Manager John Green explained: "Uniforms are a really hot topic. We have had hundreds of letters to Tell Justin commenting on all aspects of the uniform ranging from the cut of the trousers to the fabric of the blouses.

"Our colleagues come in all shapes and sizes and it's important that they are comfortable with the clothes -after all, they're the ones who have to wear them!"

It's about seven years since the uniform was last redesigned and there have been leaps and bounds in fabric technology since then. Durability, washability and colourfastness are all aspects ttiat have improved in that time. Then there's the issue of ethical sourcing. "We want to know that our uniforms are manufactured ethically and that we are not unwittingly exploiting the people who make them."

"Uniforms are different from

your own clothes," said John. "They need to withstand a lot of wear and tear - and a lot of washing. We ask a lot of our uniforms so they have to be easy to wash, easy to dry, easy to iron, hardwearing and stylish. It's a tough combination but we're determined to get it right so our colleagues can be proud - and comfortable - wearing the new uniform."

John has set up a steering group to look at alt aspects of introducing the new uniform. The 15 members represent all uniform wearers throughout Sainsbury's. So whether you work in the supply chain, a bakery, the nightshift or anywhere in between, if you wear a uniform your views are important.

We have also included specialist designers from our supplier. Dimensions Corporatewear. This group clothe overl million workers in UK.

Cost It can be costly to introduce a new uniform to 150.000 colleagues, so that's one area that John and the steering group will be keeping a close eye on. He explained: "Justin and the board agreed that now is the right time to redesign the

colleague uniform but

they said there must be no additional cost to the business and should be in line with our new branding. It'll be a delicate act to balance colleagues' wishes against cost but it's important to do this right - we may not get the chance for another seven years.

"Taking all our views into account and ensuring we make and design clothes to meet our needs takes guite some time. After we have found the right fabrics we have to find the right factories to make the new clothes. We don't know how long this will take yet, but our latest estimate is that any new garments will not be trialled by wearers until early next year."

The questionnaire was the first step in getting feedback from every colleague. "It's important that the questionnaire was anonymous so that we could maintain the confidentiality of everyone who answered," said John. "But we wanted to be able to analyse the data in as

many different ways as possible. For example, online colleagues have different needs from pharmacy colleagues,

yet all their views are important." Jill Grundell and June

Shepherd are two members of the uniform steering group who have been listening closely to their colleagues. Jill, from Dewsbury store, said: "We're all really looking forward to the new uniform. It's early days but I'm finding It really interesting. I had no idea there were so many things to think about.

"I've asked my

Our colleagues come in al

sizes and it's important t

are comfortable with the

WHO'S WHO ON THE STEERING GROUP John Green - Procurement Bill Mackay - Procurement Pam Johnson - Chaddesden store JilfGrundeli - Dewsbury store Jane Colcombe - Heaton Park store Brenden Pitts - Hams Hall depot Lizzie Burrows - Deansgate Local store June Shepherd - Loughborough store / Colleague Council Sarah Trowbridge - Customer Service Helen Buck - Marketing Colin Moffat -HR Ian McGlnty - Dimensions Corporatewear Charlotte Jay - Dimensions Corporatewear Adam Brooks - Overseas House Local store Karen McManus - Overseas House Local store

colleagues for their feedback and there's one thing they all agree about - that fleece has to go! It looks awful after a few washes and orange doesn't flatter many people. The new brand colours look nice and I think they'll be much more popular. The ladies' trousers are also a subject of hot debate. The cut is a bit old-fashioned so lots of the younger colleagues have asked for something a bit more stylish.

"I think a body warmer or gilet would be good - and it must have lots of pockets. I work on price

control and I'm always losing pens and pieces of paper. I know that's true for other colleagues, too."

Polycotton June asked her colleagues at Loughborough store for their feedback - and the main issue (apart from the fleece!) was the ladies' blouse. "I know that cotton is expensive and more difficult to launder," she said. "But maybe we could go back to polycotton. I find the current blouse cold in winter and hot in summer so I'd welcome a change."

June's colleagues all like to look smart so the men would choose a shirt instead of a polo top. "They told me they don't feel smart enough in a polo shirt," she said. "Another piece of feedback from replenishment colleagues, in particular, is that they would welcome knee pads. And, just like Jill, we all agree that pockets are a must."

If you've got strong views about your uniform and you want your views to be heard, contact one of the steering group (left).

TIMELINE March 2006

May 2006 ||||||||

June 2006

Autumn 2 0 0 ^ ^ |

Winter 2006

Early 2 0 0 ^ f l l |

Mid-2007

Listening groups in 16 locations

^ B All-colleague questionnaire

Data analysed

^^Hlni t ia l designs for considerat^^^^H

Fabric and manufacturers sourced

HpBwearer trial in a small numb^^^^ H f of stores ^^Km

Roll-out starts