Iceland will close two more stores in next week – check to see if your local branch is affected
- The supermarket chain says this is part of a continual review of stores they own
- The brand’s stores are two of six that have closed their doors in the last month
Iceland is closing two more of its stores in the coming week.
The supermarket chain – which has more than 1,000 stores alongside The Food Warehouse – says this is part of a continual review of stores they own.
And shops facing the cut include one on the Isle of Wight and another in Bangor, Wales.
‘We typically open more than 20 new stores each year, creating many new jobs and contributing to the growth of local economies,’ a spokesman for the frozen food company told the Mirror.
The supermarket chain – which has over 1,000 stores alongside The Food Warehouse – says this is part of a continual review of stores they own. The Iceland at the Deniol Shopping Centre in Bangor, North Wales (pictured)
The brand’s shop in the Deiniol Shopping Centre in Bangor (pictured) will close its doors on Monday March 27. But the Food Warehouse – who are owned by the Iceland group – are opening a store in the city the following day
‘At the same time, we continually review the retail experience offered to our customers and have always made a small number of store closures every year, as local shopping patterns change and shop leases expire.
‘The business is currently trading very strongly, achieving record market shares.’
Iceland stores closing in the coming days
Saturday, March 25
- South Street, Newport, Isle of Wight
Monday, March 27
- Deiniol Centre, Bangor
Iceland has expanded by nearly 200 stores in the last ten years.
The Isle of Wight store, on South Street, Newport, is set to close this Saturday, March 25.
The store is facing a lack of income alongside rising rents.
And a second will be lost at the Deiniol Shopping Centre in Bangor on Monday March 27.
But the Food Warehouse – who are owned by the Iceland group – are opening a store in the city the following day.
The stores are two of six that have closed their doors in the last month.
Communities in Bromsgrove, Basingstoke, Rhyl and Bristol have also lost their shops.
Iceland, which specialises in frozen foods but has branched out in recent years to expand its offering, recorded an operating loss of £4million for the six months up to September.
That month its boss Richard Walker warned it had been forced to shelve new store openings as it dealt with a £20million increase in its energy bills.
Mr Walker, who took over from his father, Malcolm, in 2018, said soaring energy prices, wage inflation and labour shortages had left Iceland facing its worst crisis in more than half a century.
He said his group was ‘fighting to keep the lights on’ and called for an energy price cap for British businesses. The staggering increase in bills has left many retailers concerned about their ability to stay open beyond winter.
And he claimed Iceland was bearing the brunt of soaring prices more than other supermarkets because of its reliance on storing food in fridges and freezers.
Mr Walker told The Mail on Sunday: ‘We’ve got to make decisions because we have got this unmanageable volatility. In some instances, it might just be easier to mothball shops or temporarily close them because the energy costs are just completely unsustainable.’
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