Sainsbury’s

Overview

The Sainsbury’s Tonbridge project represents one of the largest and most complex retail transformations delivered by RMS in partnership with Sainsbury’s.

The project involved converting an adjacent department store into a new, significantly larger superstore, without ever closing the original store, ensuring continuous trading and zero revenue disruption.

Delivered across multiple phases, the result is a state of the art superstore, approximately double the size of the original, built through careful planning, innovative phasing and exceptional on site execution.

Project Objectives

  • Transform two separate retail spaces into one unified, large-format superstore
  • Maintain continuous trading throughout the entire build
  • Support peak Christmas trading while major structural changes were underway
  • Deliver a seamless customer experience despite ongoing construction
  • Create a long term flagship store for Sainsbury’s and the local community

Project Scale

Timeline & Phased Delivery

Pre-Project Planning (Aug – Oct)

Pre-project planning established the operational strategy, onboarded delivery teams, and delivered Goods Online training for 16 colleagues ahead of peak trading. 

Phase 1: Temporary Store Creation (Nov – Dec)

A fully operational temporary store was created within the new building, enabling the original store to close and be redeveloped.

Phase 2: Peak Trading Support (Dec)

Focus shifted to operational support during the Christmas period, ensuring strong trading performance with no disruption to the customer experience.

Phase 3: Main Build & Final Transformation (Jan – March)

The original store was rebuilt and expanded, with departments opening progressively ahead of the final launch on 26th March.

Post-opening support continued through to April to stabilise operations.

RMS Services Delivered

Merchandising & Store Transformation

End to end merchandising across all phases, including section moves, layout implementation and product sequencing, delivered seamlessly within a live trading environment.

Goods Online Support

A dedicated team of 16 trained colleagues supported online operations, critical to maintaining performance during peak Christmas trading.

Equipment Management

Introduction of a dedicated Equipment Manager to oversee all logistics, supported by a 24 hour pre-check system to ensure readiness and avoid delays, with CSCS certification for safe integration with construction teams.

Project Phasing Leadership

Something else new for this project, RMS led the overall phasing strategy with a Senior Team Leader (Daniel Corfield) designing the phasing plan, with construction and store teams working around the RMS designed delivery plan. This was a major shift from the traditional model and a key success factor.

Key Challenges

One of the biggest challenges was that the store needed to remain open throughout the entire project which required precise sequencing and zero margin for delay. Strict daily delivery deadlines were required to ensure sections opened to customers on schedule. With the addition of Christmas trading mid-transformation, it required a shift in focus to maintaining store performance during that trading peak. 

The project carried high public and stakeholder visibility, reflecting its significance as a major local investment. 

It was also a highly physically demanding project, with some days teams walking 20+ miles / 60,000+ steps per day!

Team Structure & Delivery Excellence

To support the scale of the project RMS implemented an enhanced leadership model, with a Senior Team Leader overseeing the operation and dedicated Team Leaders across key workstreams, including back of house, systems and merchandising. This structure was mirrored across day and night shifts to ensure consistent delivery.

This approach enabled senior leaders to focus on stakeholder management, strengthened communication and coordination on site and built strong relationships with both store and client teams

Results & Impact

  • Delivered one of the largest transformation projects in RMS history
  • Seamless transformation with zero trading disruption
  • Successful delivery through peak Christmas trading
  • Creation of a flagship superstore for Sainsbury’s twice the size of the original
  • Strong collaboration across RMS and client teams

The end result is a flagship store delivered through true partnership, highlighting RMS’s role as a trusted leader in complex retail transformation. 

“Where do I even begin? The list of personal “thank yous” is truly endless, and we want to take this opportunity to express our deepest appreciation for everything each of you has contributed to the Tonbridge project.

Every single colleague played a vital role in making Tonbridge a reality.

The examples of resilience, passion, hard work, camaraderie, fun, friendship and collaboration have been nothing short of inspiring, and together, we’ve really shown what “taking Sainsburys to the Next Level” means.

RMS has shown up and delivered a supermarket that looks outstanding, with standards that any store manager would be thrilled to see every single day. This achievement is a testament to your dedication and teamwork.

Our heartfelt thanks to each and every one of you—you should all feel incredibly proud.”

Tracy Rushton
Resource & Operations Lead | Property Division