Not even cuddly and employee-owned Waitrose is a member of the foundation; it takes the Sainsbury's-ish stance that it currently pays at least the real living wage but cannot be bound by a future-looking pledge set by outsiders. That feels like the crucial point here. If rivals cannot be made to fall into line, isolating Sainsbury's isn't pragmatic. The market leader, Tesco, which has fatter profit margins, would have been a more obvious first target – and more likely to break ranks.