Sainsbury's
Customer Relations

our ref: 9173932/altrincham/ks

28 July 1998

Mr AJ Rixon
Somewhere
In
Cheshire XX99 9XX

Dear Mr Rixon,

I am sorry to learn from your letter that you feel we are 'trying to wind you up'. I can assure you that this certainly isn't our intention. Please accept my apologies for the delay in my response.

I am not really sure exactly how Alan Shearer feels about Lemon Butter Chicken Kievs (although I guess that judging by the recent McDonald's advert he is partial to their products!). However, I am sorry to say we have discontinued the products you mentioned at the Altrincham store. This was due to their very poor sales.

I appreciate this is frustrating, and I know how I feel when I can't [find] the products I want. There are many products that we would like to stock in all our stores. Unfortunately, limited shelf space means that this just isn't possible. Local demand determines the range held in each store, and we closely monitor the sales of all the products we sell. Sometimes we have to discontinue poor selling products to make room for better selling or new ones.

I also note that you are far from happy with the ringpulls we have put on some of our canned products. We put them on these products as we felt it would make them easier to open. However, I am very sorry that your girlfriend cut her finger. I hope she is all right now. I have made your comments known to our buyers to carefully consider at future packaging reviews.

I am sorry that you had cause for complaint in this way and I would like you to have the enclosed voucher with my apologies.

Thank you for the trouble you have taken in writing. I hope you will give us the opportunity to serve you better in the future.

Yours sincerely,

Kathy Setchell
Customer Relations Manager
Enc: £10 voucher

Sainsburys Supermarkets Ltd
Stamford House Stamford Street
London SE1 9LL
Telephone 0171-695 8602
Fax 0171-695 7765
Careline 0800 636262
www.j-sainsbury.co.uk

Registered office as above
Registered number 3261722 England
A subsidiary of J Sainsbury plc

[Note: Anyone get the feeling that, although she guessed this was probably a joke, she didn't take the chance of treating it entirely as such in case I was some wacko surrounded by bomb-making equipment? (Last year, Sainsburys were the subject of attacks by the so-called "Mardi Gras" bomber.) Incidentally, I spent the voucher buying the entire available stock of Fiorella Orange Ice Cream.]

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