How Justin King rescued Sainsbury's

We talk to former Sainsbury's CEO Justin King about its turnaround, his rivalry with Tesco and chief executive Sir Terry Leahy and more

The turnaround of Sainsbury's under Justin King is one of the most famous in UK corporate history. This episode of the Business Leader Podcast is the story of how it happened.

When King arrived as chief executive of Sainsbury's in 2004 the supermarket chain was in crisis. It had gone from the biggest food retailer in the UK to the third biggest behind Tesco and Asda, and sales were still falling. By the time King stood down in 2014, Sainsbury's sales had grown by more than 50 per cent, profits had tripled and the brand had been revitalised.

More than a decade on, King now looks back on the story with more candour and insight than ever before, including the story behind his rivalry with Tesco and chief executive Sir Terry Leahy.

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