News and Trends

 Namnews,  10th October 2022 Iceland is reported to have entered the independent convenience retail sector via a wholesale supply trial with Bestway. According to trade magazine The Grocer, a range of the frozen food specialist’s products are being trialled at a Costcutter store in Nuneaton, which recently reopened under a hybrid banner with fellow Bestway-owned fascia Bargain Booze. The move follows Iceland’s recent move into the convenience channel with its new Swift format. These stores are being supplied by Bestway via its Costcutter operation with ambient and chilled food to supplement Iceland’s predominantly frozen range. The report by The Grocer noted that Iceland’s move to becoming a supplier to Bestway was beginning to attract interest from retailers. An independent retailer who is currently considering changing wholesaler is quoted as saying: “I think it’s an exciting prospect for our sector. Iceland has a fantastic proposition and enabling independent retailers to a...

Namnews, 23rd March 2022 It has been revealed that Iceland’s new ‘Swift’ convenience stores are being supplied with products by Nisa, including Co-op own-label lines. A year on from launching a pilot outlet in Newcastle, Iceland opened its second Swift store in London  last week . The stores are described as offering a convenience store layout, with an enhanced range of chilled food and ambient grocery, and a condensed frozen range. According to trade magazine The Grocer, Iceland had secured a supply agreement with Bestway and its Costcutter division for the format, but the deal is currently being serviced by Co-op-owned Nisa. This includes supplying Swift with the ambient and chilled food lines, including branded products and Co-op own label. The Co-op lines include ready meals, pizzas, and food-to-go. The report stated that the Nisa-sourced lines are supplementing Iceland’s own predominantly frozen range to ensure Swift can offer a full convenience range. A spokesperson for Icela...

Namnews, 2nd September 2021 Iceland has added around 250 new lines to its frozen food offer, including several brand exclusives. A trading manager for the retailer is quoted by trade magazine The Grocer as saying it was its “biggest-ever frozen new product launch”. The new lines include 19 developed with fast-food chain Ed’s Easy Diner. The exclusive branded range includes items such as Burgers, Chilli Dogs, Pancakes, and Pizza. The frozen food chain has also linked up with Italian restaurant Piccolino for a new pizza and pasta range. Other new lines include Cathedral City ready meals such as Mac ‘n’ Cheese and Cauliflower Cheese. There are also Mary Berry desserts, Butterkist ice cream sticks, and McCoy’s frozen potato shapes. These are all being rolled out alongside new own-label products in Iceland and The Food Warehouse stores and online from this week. Iceland’s Trading Director Andrew Staniland wrote on his LinkedIn page this week: “Iceland Foods and The Food Warehouse all set fo...

  By  Steve Farrell | 15 March 2021 | No comments Save article Iceland MD Richard Walker this morning tweeted a picture of himself outside the first Swift store Iceland is launching a new convenience store format called Swift, with the first branch to open this Thursday in Newcastle. The store, in a converted Iceland unit in Longbenton, will get double the number of lines of the branch it replaces, at about 3,000. The range will cover “the full spectrum of grocery” from frozen and fresh to food-to-go, alcohol and tobacco, a spokeswoman said. The new concept is “entirely new” and “designed to provide a simple, easy-to-shop food store with the watchwords: fresh, fast, local”, the spokeswoman added. Iceland has revealed few further details but the limited information provided points to a convenience and food-for-now or tonight focus, along with a possible streamlining of the checkout process.  Iceland head of space & format development Matt Downes said: “This is a really...

The Grocer, 11th March 2021 Iceland is holding ‘online flash sales’, having massively ramped up its delivery capacity by taking on thousands of drivers and pickers in the pandemic. The flash sales are being pushed on social media with links to a recently created dedicated page on Iceland’s website, with online exclusive discounts of up to 50% for one day only. “Breaking news: we’ve another online flash sale for you!” Iceland posted on Facebook this week. “For today only, there’s money off all these when you shop online.” The offers included Iceland Chicken Breast Joint at £3 instead of £6 and 100% Fish Fillet Strips Tandoori at £2 instead of £3. A similar flash sale on 26 February included Goodfella’s Takaway Pizza at £1.75 instead of £3.50. An Iceland spokesman said the flash sales were “just one of the ways in which we have been delivering great value for shoppers”. Iceland launched a recruitment drive in January for 1,000 extra drivers and 2,500 store staff, the latter prin...