Public limited | |
Founded | 19 February 1997 |
Headquarters |
Edinburgh, Scotland Halifax, West Yorkshire |
Products | Financial services |
Parent | J Sainsbury plc |
Website | www |
Sainsbury's Bank plc is a British bank wholly owned by Sainsbury's, a national supermarket chain in the United Kingdom. The bank began trading on 19 February 1997 as a joint venture between J Sainsbury plc and Bank of Scotland, and was the first bank to be opened by a major British supermarket. Sainsbury's took full ownership of the bank in January 2014.
The bank's head office is at 3 Lochside Avenue, Edinburgh EH12 9DJ, and it runs operations from various locations across the UK. In 2008 it had over 1.4 million active customers.
Sainsbury's and Bank of Scotland (later to become a subsidiary of Lloyds Banking Group) formed the bank as a joint venture, and it received a full banking licence from the Bank of England in January 1997. It launched on 19 February 1997.
On 8 May 2013, Sainsbury's announced it would buy the 50% share in the business owned by Lloyds Banking Group. The transfer was completed on 31 January 2014, and Sainsbury's Bank became a wholly owned subsidiary of J Sainsbury plc.
The bank provides a range of financial products including insurance, credit cards, savings and loans. It is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by both the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Sainsbury's Bank products are linked to the Nectar reward scheme and can be applied for online or by telephone.