Sainsbury’s confirms exciting plans to open new store in Henfield

Sainsbury’s is pleased to confirm that plans are underway to open a new ‘Neighbourhood Hub’ store at on Henfield High Street, on the premises currently occupied by Knight’s Budgens. The retailer is investing over £1 million to transform the store into a brand-new Sainsbury’s and all existing colleagues are being given the opportunity transfer with protection of employment as part of a consultation process.

           Sainsbury’s Neighbourhood Hubs are a food-led interpretation of our renowned supermarket offer, whose size sits between that convenience stores and supermarkets. Their specifically curated               product ranges, as well as carefully selected locations in communities throughout the UK, aims to give customers access to everything they need to complete a weekly shop locally . The vision               for these stores is to be the best “in neighbourhood” one-stop offer, with great value product choice and community at their heart.

Once open, Sainsbury’s Henfield will provide customers with a fantastic range of great value, high quality branded and Sainsbury’s own-brand products. It will also feature an instore Click & Collect service, bringing together the much-loved brands of Sainsbury’s, Argos, Habitat and Tu Clothing under one roof and enabling customers to collect purchases made online whilst picking up their groceries.

The existing Knight’s Budgens is expected to close at the end of February, when the process of converting the store into a brand new Sainsbury’s will begin. Sainsbury’s is planning to put in place a temporary Sainsbury’s Groceries Online Click & Collect service in a section Coopers Way Car Park, which is behind the store, while it is being refurbished to ensure customers can continue to buy food and other staples from the same location in the period before the new store opens. Customers can also use Sainsbury’s Groceries Online to shop a wide variety of quality products at affordable prices and have them delivered to their door.

Sainsbury’s is aiming to open the new store in May 2023.

          Patrick Dunne, Sainsbury’s Property Director, said: “We’re delighted to be bringing a new Neighbourhood Hub store to Henfield, giving the local community the chance to experience                        Sainsbury’s renowned colleague service and product range within one of our very latest store formats. We’ll be working hard to complete the transformation of the store as efficiently as possible              in the coming months and we’re looking forward to helping and serving our new customers later this year.”

Sainsbury’s recently announced that it is investing a total of £205 million in what is its biggest ever investment in colleague pay to at least £11 per hour. This latest pay rise of £185 million is on top of the £20 million Sainsbury’s invested in October and recognises the extraordinary hard work of colleagues.

Sainsbury’s is also committed to doing everything it can to support customers with the cost of living and by March 2023 the retailer will have invested over £550 million in value – the most Sainsbury’s has ever spent on battling price inflation over a two-year period.