Last week Sainsbury’s ran its ‘Giving Store’, designed specifically for people to browse and shop – then leave empty handed. Open in London’s Covent Garden, customers had the chance, using pre-paid tokens, to take goods from the shelves and donate to people in need.
The opening of the store followed recent research by the supermarket which revealed that 10 million adults have admitted to forgetting to donate to charity despite telling others they have done so (40%). The most common reasons for this being not having the money (27%) and prioritising other things (29%).
In a bid to combat this, Sainsbury’s decided to make it easier than ever to give back this Christmas. The ‘Giving Store’ housed priority items as advised by local food bank partners – from non-perishable food and toiletries to toys – all of which are ready to be donated.
With research revealing 88% of parents regularly encourage their children to be more generous and donate to charity, Sainsbury’s encouraged parents to visit the store with their loved-ones last weekend. Families could explore the Dickensian-style shopping experience with the help of characters who showed them the way, from completing their own decadent Christmas dinner through to discovering an epic secret snow-filled forest.
At the end of the experience, shoppers reached a traditional check out, where items collected in the shop were placed in interactive donation containers – ensuring customers along with their families experience the true joy of giving this festive season.
The UK retailer launched the Giving Store in a bid to make Christmas, Christmas by giving to others this year and helping those in need.
Judith Batchelar, Director of Sainsbury’s Brand comments, “If every person doing their Christmas shopping this December donated one extra item – be that a can of soup or a roll-on deodorant – over 50 million products could be donated to those in need this festive season.
We want to do what we can to encourage shoppers to donate food and toys and do so in a way that teaches children the importance of helping others, particularly around the festive season”.
The store was a child-focused experience which brought to life the importance of giving to others and donating to charity, encouraging families to support the retailer brighten a million Christmases.
The pop-up was open from Thursday 5th to Sunday 8th of December and was located in the heart of London’s iconic Covent Garden, close to the very first Sainsbury’s store on Drury Lane.
This initiative builds on the work that Sainsbury’s does all year round to ensure food goes to those who need it most. The retailer has built over 2,250 Food Donation Partnerships with local charities to donate surplus food. Where possible unsold food that is approaching its best before or use by date is also donated to a local charity.
