Directorate

SAINSBURY (J) PLC
21 July 1999


J SAINSBURY plc TO ANNOUNCE THE FORTHCOMING APPOINTMENT OF TWO NEW
NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS.

At the J Sainsbury plc AGM later today, Sir George Bull, Chairman, will make
the following statement regarding non-executive directors.

'After 25 years on the Board, Sir Timothy Sainsbury will retire today.  He has
made a unique and significant contribution to the success of the company.  I
thank him for his considerable contribution.  We shall miss his special input
to the board.

'Sir Timothy Sainsbury leaving reduces the number of Non-Executive Directors. 
I am therefore pleased to announce today that we will shortly be appointing
two new Non-Executive Directors to the Board.

'Keith Butler-Wheelhouse is the Chief Executive of Smiths Industries plc,
which he joined in 1996 after four years as President of SAAB Automobile in
Sweden.  He also worked for the Ford Motor Company in South Africa, where he
held senior appointments in manufacturing, product engineering, finance and
marketing functions.  He was part of a management buyout of General Motors
South Africa (renamed Delta) and was Chairman and Chief Executive from
1987-1992.  He remains on the Board as a Non-Executive.

'June de Moller was a Director of Carlton Communications from 1983 until
January of this year and served as Managing Director from 1993.  She now holds
a number of Non-Executive appointments on various Boards, including Anglian
Water plc, Lynx Group plc and Cookson Group plc.

'Your Board is very pleased that Mr Butler-Wheelhouse and Mrs de Moller will
be joining us in September.  We look forward to welcoming them and I am sure
the Board will greatly benefit from their experience.'

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