The original agreement with the supermarket expires in the summer, and was rumoured to be worth 拢1m. It includes starring in Sainsbury's ads, making in-store appearances and product development.
Earlier this year, Oliver's wife, Jules, was photographed laden with rival supermarket Waitrose bags -- despite being a short distance from a Sainsbury's. More recently, research showed that shoppers in the north of England were turned off by Oliver's chirpy cockney demeanour.
However, a Sainsbury's spokesperson denied Oliver was bad for the brand. "He has the same outlook on food as we do, and our messages are very similar. We hope to carry on working with him."
Sainsbury's sales have fallen behind Tesco and it is taking measures to close the gap. Whether or not Oliver is everyone's cup of tea, his tenure as spokesman has been far better received than Sainsbury's previous effort. These featured John Cleese and the "value to shout about" strapline.
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