Sainsbury’s has launched an intensive training programme for all staff as part of a wide-ranging branding overhaul which the retailer has labelled “the most significant in the company’s 136-year history”.
The supermarket chain is today launching a £10m marketing campaign, based on a new strap line “Try Something New Today”, which will spread through all areas of the company’s operation.
The campaign, fronted by Jamie Oliver, is being complemented by intensive programmes covering areas such as staff communication, leadership training and ways of working for non-store based employees.
Justin King, Sainsbury’s chief executive, said: “The announcement marks a change in how we will serve our customers and the start of a company-wide training programme equipping every colleague to improve the customer experience in store.
“As part of this change, more than 1,000 managers from stores and central teams, including the board, are all going through a two-day training course to change the way we lead the business. Every store colleague will also receive customer service training by the end of October.
“We believe this is the biggest commitment a Sainsbury’s board has made to align every colleague behind a single aim – in our case to make Sainsbury’s great again,” he added.
The ideas and tips promoted by Oliver in the company’s adverts over the coming weeks are being sampled by all 153,000 Sainsbury’s staff so they can experience them first-hand and share their knowledge and ideas with customers.
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Meanwhile, Tesco will tomorrow announce it is to create 7,500 new jobs between now and February as it opens new stores and expands its growing non-food product areas.
A large number of the Tesco jobs will be created by the opening of the retailer’s first stand-alone non-food store, which will be unveiled in Manchester next month.
