High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Sainsbury's Bank, now trading as Sainsbury's Finance, is a 50:50 joint venture between J Sainsbury (a leading UK food retailer) and Bank of Scotland (a subsidiary of Lloyds Banking Group). Sainsbury's was the first major British supermarket to open a bank, commencing trading in February 1997. It operates under its own banking license issued by the FSA, separate from Bank of Scotland and Lloyds Banking Group.