Sainsbury's Local

Reasonable selection for such a small store. Good for lunches. Plenty of options for lunch, fruits sandwiches, fresh pastries and bread too. Also a some medicines for hayfever and other common ailments

I have been shopping here since I moved to this neighbourhood 4 years ago. Kabir, the new manager, is excellent. He often serves customers by himself during busy hours. All the staff and security guards are also friendly and efficient. There's the occasional glitch of course, like rude customers, thieves, beggars pestering people to buy them things etc. But somehow the team of staff manage to handle all of this in a non aggressive manner. I think they all deserve a raise!

I am a local and have been going there since it’s been opened, sometimes twice a day. On 2 occasions now I have experienced terrible behaviour from Kavir the ‘Manager’. On one occasion he labelled me and I felt discriminated against. He thought it was funny to shout something across the store and humiliate me. I addressed it there and then and he denied it and said I didn’t hear him. I heard him clearly. Now I question if I was to buy alcohol from the store would I be labelled an alcoholic? Yesterday 29/10, I went into the store with 2 friends and their little children. After I had purchased my items at self checkout I waited for my friends to be served by him on the till. At this point I started eating my crisp that I had purchased. He shouted from the till ‘you cant eat inside the store it’s not allowed’ I told him I had purchased these items in store. And asked him, Where does it say food consumption is not allowed? He proceeded to say ‘I’m telling you, you can’t eat inside any store!’. I was confused and continued to wait for my friend by the entrance. He then used his headset to call the security and asked security to escort me and my friend out. He then spoke in Urdu which I also understand and told the security guard that we were not listening to him. It seemed that he was getting annoyed that we didn’t listen to his instructions more than the fact that we were breaking a rule if any?! I left the store feeling embarrassed and discriminated against. I beg to question how he treats other local customers who are more vulnerable. I called head office and looked online to see if there was any policy which stated that I was not allowed to eat in the store. There was nothing. I returned to the store and to my horror what he proceeded to say was extremely unprofessional. He said ‘this is my shop and I am personally telling you not to eat here’. Me eating in the store was clearly not a violation of Sainsbury’s policy, however it seemed he made his own rule up as it was ‘his shop’. His CHOICE to ask me to stop eating and then instructing security to escort me out had no logical reasoning. IT WAS SIMPLY A POWER TRIP. I asked to see something where it said eating in the store was not allowed. He was unable to and kept repeating he didn’t want us to eat. This is extremely poor management. Making up rules just because he wants to is also very worrying. How else is he making rules and abusing his powers. He also didn’t give us his name when we asked. He was NOT wearing his name badge and didn’t give us his name until we asked him numerous times. He ran off into the back office for 10-15 mins to call someone else and ask if what he said was acceptable. He then came out and gave a half hearted apology and found it funny. I have read some ‘good’ reviews mentioning his name ‘Kabir’ but I can’t help but think they were asked to leave that review. As he has previously asked me to leave a review and he would offer me an incentive for doing so! I have also witnessed him bullying other members of staff. It seems he is on a power trip and bullies customers and staff members. I have a good customer/staff relationship with all the staff there as I visit this store numerous times a day.

A small store, perfect for drinks o snacks and in general for quick stuff. There also the bakery section with croissants, muffins and different type of breads. The staff were friendly and helpful

Since moving to this neighbourhood in the summer of '18, I've been here several times. The new manager Kabir is friendly and often chatty. He does a good job of managing the staff and is often behind the till himself. Anika and Ashna, the young ladies who are both new to the team are efficient, friendly and courteous. Staff Jahedul, Sumon, Forida, Mominul, Abigail, Faruk, Mo, Rajkumar & Kamal are wonderful! Professional & efficient. Asha is very friendly, professional and efficient and so is Sushmita. The new manageress Rumana is very charming, welcoming and friendly! Sonal, the new checkout staff is very polite, efficient and professional. Such a lovely lady! I often go here, and also send friends & neighbours here to buy stuff for my candle-lit suppers, summer garden parties and of course, wine-soaked soirees! Harun, Nasima, Chumki, Marvin, Nesa, Liza & Jaber also deserve mention for their excellent customer service. In a city where customer service has gone from bad to worse, it's reassuring and satisfying to have such friendly & welcoming staff at our local supermarket, in Spitalfields; the last neighbourhood in central London that still holds on to its "villagey" feel. Tyrese, Farhan, Tahmeda, Ryhan, Aram, Mohiuddin & Nargis are also staff members who deliver the best service, often with a cheerful smile & welcoming attitude. Rasheda, Chumki and Ethan are particularly helpful. Professional, efficient, friendly and delivering fast service at the staffed checkout. Hanif, the manager is also helpful, often stepping in to help out when all cashiers/checkout staff are busy. The security guards are also very polite and often step in to help at the self-checkout. Especially, Shafiq and Soroar deserve mention. I felt compelled to comment on the excellent customer service delivered by the staff at my local supermarket (Sainsbury's Express) as a way of saying "Thank You" for making my shopping experience, pleasant.. always! Never had a negative experience here. Sainsbury's should give everyone who works here, a pay-rise! The fact that this shop is open 7 days a week, until 11pm, is very useful to all of us local residents and late night workers.

Edit: since writing the previous review one month ago I have not the same problem with empty bakery and the coffee machine. The bakery has been full of nice pastries when I need it 😁 I originally wrote a review complaining about the bakery being empty but the problem must have been temporary, so I’ve edited this review to reflect the improvement. The staff are polite and the place is always clean.

When I paced towards this store, with a spring in my step in anticipation of what was to come, I felt nothing but joy. Raw excitement. My heart in my mouth, I entered. Blood pumping, I made my way to the confectionery aisle. I’d crossed the city for a single product. No - more than a product. A dream. A simple idea: crunchie rocks. I wanted crunchie rocks. I turned the corner onto the confectionery aisle. My eyes darted from row to row. Porridge. Crisps. Chocolate bars. Finally, I saw the section I wanted: chocolate share bags. But what I discovered could only be described as blood curdling horror. No crunchie rocks. My heart had just dropped out of my stomach. I was stunned. Beyond belief. It was the year of our lord 2023. But no crunchie rocks. There i was, suddenly feeling as naked as the day I was born. nay - worse: alone, all of a sudden cold, and startlingly afraid, reeling from the shock of a lifetime. An echo of a hauntingly familiar yet distant childhood hymn oscillated betwixt my ears. No crunchy rocks. i fell to my knees and weeped like never before. ** Overall, I do not recommend this store.

Went last night. I believe the guy deliberately "forgot" to give me change. The security man was close to him. It seemed to me that they are trying to forget the money, so they keep it for themselves. The security man was way too close to the tills, and it seemed that he was saying to the guy at the till on who could forget the money or no. I would check on those two guys and fire them straight away.