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Sainsbury’s is set to go head-to-head with rivals Asda and Tesco after it revealed that it will be launching a new non-food website on the back of a 28.4 per cent rise in underlying profit before tax.
The retailer is set to burst into the online non-food space, with it announcing plans to invest £30 million over the next two years. It revealed it is looking to launch the website around April 2010.
Sainsbury’s has said that it will carry a range of own-brand and branded non-food goods, although it was coy on exactly what products it would stock.
It is expecting that by 2010, non-food sales will account for a third of its revenue through its retail stores, with over half of the retailer’s new floor space being allocated to its non-food operation. It added that by 2010, sixty of its 60,000 sq ft and larger stores will have around 15,000 sq ft of non-food retail.
Sainsbury’s is also gearing up to continue to development of its non-food team with more key hirings expected in the coming months.
Despite challenging economic conditions, the UK’s third largest supermarket has reported an increase in sales of 5.8 per cent to £19.3 billion on the success of Justin King’s Make Sainsbury’s Great Again initiative.
