Sainsbury's in London Road is closed from Saturday 28th July to Friday 18th August for building works.

gosh thats a bit of a pain!
Its a relatively new building too.

They've already started work this week on the stairwell leading to the underground car park.

They are probably planning more self-service checkouts, like they are just completing in Crystal Palace, with a store reorganisation around it.

I personally avoid the self service checkouts.
I prefer human interaction and cant help feeling that by using them I'm making it more likely that staff will be made redundant.

They do need even more self-service checkouts sadly since they made one row of them card only, so it gets clogged up with people who still want to pay with cash. It's also likely that the self-service area will also receive the security gates that are at Bell Green, Dulwich and Penge where you scan your receipt to leave the area.

Reading the works notes plastered around the store, it appears they're going to replace the flooring on the shop floor, which will enable them to do a complete reorganisation of the store.

They also need to knock down what was a fresh meat counter which is covered with shelves at the moment.

The surprising thing is that the posters on the windows suggest going to Dulwich despite the Bell Green store being closer.

This post was last modified: 13-07-2023 11:32 PM by rbmartin.

Perhaps, once the works are completed, they won't need so many buckets around the store when it rains!

The more self checkouts reduces the number of already limited staffed checkouts. I realise they think it is efficient to do so, but if they want people to self scan there should be some sort of reward for doing so.

I feel sorry for those who want to pay cash and use the card only self scan checkouts, must be very frustrating. At times it does feel that "we" are being driven towards a cashless society whereby everything is paid for by some sort of card

What I find annoying is the "security gates at Dulwich where you have to scan your receipt to leave the area", not been to Penge or Sydenham recently so can't comment on those. How long before they put them on the either the exit of each staffed checkout or even the exit to the store?

Perhaps the Forest Hill store will be better laid out and easier to get around, we'll just have to wait and see!!!!!!!!

This post was last modified: 14-07-2023 11:20 AM by samuelsen.

The deli counter has already been removed not sure if the prep area and sink has been?. I hardly use the store only to top up essentials as it is too expensive and when I do the staffed checkouts are closed 90% during peak hours and had to use the self service which I try and avoid at all cost if possible and forced to do so I do take my time to pack the shopping if every one done then their would have to put staff on the checkouts why don't they do the same as Aldi operate and open the staffed tills when it gets busy?.

Sainsbury's has a monopoly on the area just like in West Wickham were they have two stores within less then 1/4 mile of each other just greedy profiteering on the public.

I am taking bets that they will increase their already overinflated prices. They have have shut the staff canteen a while ago and shorten the number of working hours to six so that they don't have to give staff a break as required by the Working Time Directives. What is going to happen to the staff during the building work.

No planning application registered with Lewisham Planning. The store was constructed around 2005 https://planning.lewisham.gov.uk/online-...CAPR_41725

When the store was last closed for I think about a year or so, Forest Hill staff were transferred to nearby stores.

This time around, they could be transferred to Sainsbury's Local stores in addition to the big supermarkets.

I think the sink etc behind the deli counter are still there, it's not easy to see with the shelves hiding them.

Sainsbury's have started to reduce the amount of products for sale with empty shelves already, despite being open for another week before closing.

The floor has already been ripped up by the fruit and veg.

Thanks for the update.

Tesco Express in Kirkdale is also closed until 22nd August for a refit. The Tesco Express at Esso on London Road is still open.

Not long to go now, hopefully it'll re-open on Saturday, 19/8/23??

The store finder has the store reopening on Friday.

https://stores.sainsburys.co.uk/0404/forest-hill

Staff are back in Sainsbury's today. Some of the closure boards have also been removed and I could see food on the fruit & veg shelves.

The red fence and chair for a security guard by the London Road entrance have also gone this evening, so looks like they're on for a 7am reopening tomorrow.

Confirmed on Sainsbury's website they're reopening at 9am today.

Normal opening hours resume on Saturday at 7am.