"It’s been absolutely fantastic to fully reopen our new-look supermarket for customers in Cobham,” says Ben Taw, Cobham store manager. “I’d like to thank my colleagues, our supplier partners and everyone in the wider community for all your support and patience in getting us to this stage. We’re really excited to show off our refreshed store and to keep doing more to help our customers in Cobham feel inspired, whatever they are looking for when they shop with us.”
When we opened our 25,000 sq ft supermarket in Hook, Hampshire, in 2023, it marked more than just the arrival of a new store, it was a step towards reimagining what a supermarket can be.
Hook is our most energy-efficient store to date, using 50 per cent less energy than a typical Sainsbury’s of the same size and 25 per cent less electricity than our next most efficient store. It’s packed with innovation, including:
More than 700 solar panels generating up to 300 MWh a year
100% renewable electricity and no fossil fuels
Rainwater harvesting to support our goal to be water neutral by 2040
Patrick Dunne“The learnings from Hook are informing future store investments across our estate, it’s a blueprint for the future”
Chief Property and Procurement Officer, MD of Smart Charge.
That blueprint came to life again in Cobham, Surrey, where we’ve transformed our flagship store into a live innovation lab. Building on Hook’s sustainability success, Cobham takes things further, combining energy efficiency with a completely reimagined customer experience.
The store has been redesigned to reflect how customers want to shop today: more inspiration, more convenience and more choice. It features:
A new fresh food and produce hall with food-first layouts
Curated product pairings that make shopping more intuitive
Hybrid checkouts for added convenience
Refreshed displays for Habitat, Tu and Argos
Upgraded signage and digital screens to make navigation easier
A new Costa Coffee and Greggs at the petrol station
Cobham is also helping us test ideas that will shape the future of our estate. More than 100 experiments are underway, from layout and lighting to product presentation and technology all designed to make shopping easier, faster and more inspiring.
These trials are part of our plan to create more food space in around 180 higher-potential stores over the next three years, a key part of our strategy to grow grocery volumes and deliver a better experience for customers.
“It shows what’s possible when you bring innovation, purpose and customer focus together,” says Ryan Cox, Store Manager at Hook.
From Hook’s energy-saving breakthroughs to Cobham’s customer-first transformation, we’re delivering for customers, colleagues, communities and shareholders while building a Sainsbury’s that’s ready for the future.