John Davison, vice-president and research director at business analysts Gartner G2, says: "There is no point to technology unless it serves customers. It is often a case of sticking to the basics, and in the case of retailing that is competitiveness, availability and short queues.
"Sainsbury's is not the only one. Look at Safeway before the Morrisons' takeover in March. It was a lame duck because it had taken its eye off the ball. As it happens, it was also interested in new technology. It was one of the first into customer relationship management and self-scanning."
Alongside the hardware in place at the automated warehouses, software had been designed for Sainsbury's that was intended to minimise stockholding and put deliveries on a more "just-in-time" footing.