Sainsbury’s reviews direct marketing business

Sainsbury’s has started a review of its direct marketing business, currently held by Proximity London.

The supermarket chain, the UK’s third-largest grocer by market share behind Tesco and Asda, says the account is worth £1m. The Haystack Group has been appointed to assist with the pitch, which will be led by Sainsbury’s brand director Helen Buck.

Proximity has worked with Sainsbury’s for the past five years and will be included in the pitch process, which will take around three months according to the retailer.

Proximity’s Omnicom-owned sister agency Abbott Mead Vickers.BBDO handles the grocer’s above-the-line account, while PHD works on media. Neither account is affected.

Connections, the data joint venture between Sainsbury’s and Proximity, will not form part of the review.

Buck says: “The communications marketplace is intensifying, and by reviewing the account we can ensure that we are getting the best output from our agency.