Sainsbury’s has opened a new Neighbourhood Hub format store in Henfield, Sussex, replacing the independent Knight’s Budgens.
The supermarket purchased the building from Knight’s Budgens last year and opened the store as Sainsbury’s Local on Wednesday following three months of comprehensive upgrade works.
All 34 colleagues from the original store have stayed with the store to become new Sainsbury’s colleagues, the supermarket said.
The new 5,554 sq. ft. store is one of the retailer’s Neighbourhood Hub stores, whose size sits between that of convenience stores and supermarkets. With specifically curated product ranges and carefully selected locations in communities throughout the UK, they aim to give customers access to everything they need to complete a weekly shop locally.
The store also offers a new Click & Collect service, which enables customers to order online from Sainsbury’s Argos, Habitat and Tu Clothing brands for collection whilst picking up their groceries.
“We’re excited to have launched our tenth Neighbourhood Hub store this morning following a major investment, giving the local community in Henfield the chance to experience Sainsbury’s fantastic product offer from one of our latest format stores,” Patrick Dunne, Sainsbury’s property director, said.
“Like the rest of our estate, Sainsbury’s Henfield Local will operate using 100 per cent renewable electricity and 100 per cent LED lighting as part of our ambition to become net zero in our own operations by 2035.”
Sainsbury’s Henfield Local will be part of the retailer’s Food Donation Programme, where stores partner with local organisations to redistribute surplus food to those who need it most.
The new Local will continue to work with Horsham District Foodbank, which worked with the previous store, via Sainsbury’s wider partnership with food donation charity Neighbourly. Sainsbury's has already donated well over 10 million meals through Neighbourly, saving over 4,500 tonnes of food from going to waste.
Liam Parris, Sainsbury’s Henfield Local store manager, said: “I know the people of Henfield have been looking forward to today’s opening and it’s been great to welcome them through our doors. I’m delighted that the entire team has decided to become part of the Sainsbury’s family and I’m really proud of my colleagues for the way they have pulled together to help get everything ready.
“I hope the local community enjoys their new store and I’d like to thank everyone who has supported us along the way.”
