Sainsbury's Opens 200th Convenience Store In London

Sainsbury’s has opened its 200th convenience store in London, creating 25 local jobs: Shepherd’s Bush Road Local in Hammersmith represents 16 years of continuous growth since Sainsbury’s opened its first convenience store, also in Hammersmith, in 1998. Over 6,000 people are employed in Sainsbury’s stores across Greater London, and the retailer recently opened a new convenience training centre in London to train 200 new managers and 500 team leaders.   Simon Twigger, Sainsbury’s Director of Convenience, said: "We're delighted to open our 200th store in London. We know that people want to shop locally and frequently, and that is why our stores are conveniently located in the places that people want and need them.   "We have a strong presence in London – it’s where our convenience business started, and our Local stores are going from strength to strength. Not only do they provide choice for local people, but they boost the local economy, providing jobs and attracting extra footfall."   New store manager, Yash Desai, said: "I am really looking forward to opening our new Hammersmith shop and welcoming customers for the first time. I have a great team in place and our aim is to provide a fresh range of products, excellent customer service, and to be part of the local thriving business community."   Sainsbury’s Locals now account for 27% of the UK’s convenience market growth, with sales of over £1.5 billion and year-on-year growth of nearly 20%. The company is currently opening about two convenience stores every week and has over 630 convenience stores nationwide.   Sainsbury’s is accelerating the expansion of its convenience store business in London and the South East with plans to open 50 new stores by early 2014. This will create over 1,000 local jobs.