Sainsbury's aims to tickle taste buds with makeover

SAINSBURY'S YESTERDAY unveiled a new corporate image designed to help improve its faltering performance.

The supermarket group will use the slogan "making life taste better" with re-vamped corporate colours of "living orange." Sainsbury's has used orange since the 1970s but says the new, colour-washed hue is a warmer, more modern shade. "Our aim is to get the public to reassess, reconsider, revisit and increase their loyalty with Sainsbury's," said Kevin McCarten, marketing director. The colours will be used in stores and on carrier bags, point of sale material and delivery vans from today.

It will be accompanied by a trial of a new staff uniform designed by Irish fashion designer Paul Costelloe. The new look features chilli peppers, strawberries and spring onions on a royal blue background and the uniform will include baseball caps, fleeces and rugby shirts. They are currently on trial at stores in Wrexham, north Cheam in Surrey and Fairfield Park, Bedfordshire, but will go countrywide from September.

Sainsbury's reported weak profit figures last week and has been falling further behind Tesco, which reported buoyant sales growth last Friday.

Sainsbury's admitted that three-quarters of its stores are not up to scratch and announced a makeover programme that will see stores expanded and refurbished to make them more attractive.