Sainsbury’s has successfully launched the first of 14 retail sites that it recently acquired for conversion into Sainsbury’s supermarkets with the opening of its new supermarket in Felixstowe.
A key ambition of Sainsbury’s Next Level strategy is to offer more food choice to more customers in more locations, building on the strength of its winning combination of quality, value and service. The new stores it has acquired are in strategic target locations like Felixstowe, which will grow Sainsbury’s supermarket coverage across England, Northern Ireland and Scotland.
Over the next two years Sainsbury’s ambitious pipeline of new supermarkets will add over 400,000 sq ft of new space to its estate – representing its most significant investment in new supermarket space for many years. Combined with Sainsbury’s plans to open another 25 new convenience stores in each of the next two years as well, the retailer’s exciting growth plans will bring more than 700,000 more people within a ten-minute drive of a Sainsbury’s store.
The new stores will also deliver substantial benefits to local communities by connecting new locations to Sainsbury’s renowned network of charity, community and volunteering initiatives, both regionally and nationally. Last year Sainsbury’s raised around £34 million for good causes and redistributed more than 18 million meals to people in communities that needed them most through its food donation partnerships with Neighbourly and Olio.
Last autumn it was announced that the 14 sites, which are predominantly former Homebase stores, also included two stores Sainsbury’s had acquired from East of England Co-op. Since then Sainsbury’s has been working at pace to convert them into brand-new Sainsbury’s Superstores, with the first one opening in Felixstowe and the second expected to launch in Brightlingsea later this year.
The new Felixstowe supermarket is Sainsbury’s first-ever store in the East Suffolk town and represents a multimillion-pound investment by the retailer. Its arrival means almost 23,000 more people in the area now live within a 10-minute drive of a Sainsbury’s supermarket.
Located at 189 Hamilton Road in a converted part of the Great Eastern Square shopping precinct, the 19,000 sq. ft store features a much larger shop floor than before, which will showcase Sainsbury’s very latest supermarket offer. As well as transferring team members from the previous store to the new one, Sainsbury’s has recruited 42 new colleagues, more than doubling the size of the store team and creating jobs for local people.
The new store team are already off to a strong start in the local community after they teamed up with Litter-free Felixstowe and members of the public to take part in a litter-pick to clear up rubbish around the town on Saturday 19th April.
Sainsbury’s gifted a limited-edition shopping bag featuring a design by Amelia Peacher, a pupil at nearby Felix Primary School, to the first 500 customers to visit the store on Thursday.
Patrick Dunne, Sainsbury’s chief property and procurement officer & managing director of Smart Charge, said: “We were delighted to open our fantastic supermarket in Felixstowe, putting Sainsbury’s on the doorstep of customers in the town for the first time.
“It was also an exciting moment for our business as the launch marks the first of many brilliant new supermarkets we plan to open over the next two years, following our strategic decision to acquire 14 new sites for conversion into Sainsbury’s last year. Our bold plan is driven by our belief in the strength of Sainsbury’s offer and our commitment to bringing more of our delicious, high-quality and great value food within easy reach of more customers.
“We’ve worked diligently to transform the Felixstowe site into a new Sainsbury’s store in just a few months and we will continue to convert many more of the sites we’ve acquired for launch over the next two years, as well as opening more new stores from our existing pipeline of purpose-built supermarkets.”
Nick Cordingley, Sainsbury’s Felixstowe superstore manager, said: “I’m thrilled that I’ve been given the chance to lead the fantastic team at our first ever Sainsbury’s Felixstowe store and we’re really pleased with the response we’ve had from customers and the community already. We’re looking forward to welcoming many more customers through the doors over the next few weeks, and to playing an integral part in the local community for years to come.”
Sainsbury’s Felixstowe is the 3rd new supermarket the retailer has opened in 2025, following the launch of its Bishopton and Alsager stores in February.
