Iceland to shut down more stores amid ‘decline in business’

Frozen food specialist Iceland is set to close more stores in coming weeks as it struggles with high energy costs and double-digit inflation.

The frozen food retailer has confirmed it will be closing two stores this year, including Flint, Wales on May 27 and Beccles, Suffolk on June 17. It has already shut the doors on more than half a dozen shops including branches in Bromsgrove, Basingstoke and Rhyl, with more closures on the way.

Plus, a further three stores in Newport, Berwick and Hexham closed on April 22, The Sun reported. Last month they announced its store in Harrow, London, would also close. This will bring the total number of Iceland closures this year to 11.

It comes as a number of big retailers look to close branches as they struggle with high energy costs and soaring inflation. Iceland has now confirmed it will be closing two more stores this year.

Iceland has more than 800 branches and 153 Food Warehouse stores across the UK, and last year opened 24 new branches. But the openings come amid a report “decline in business”

In a statement, Iceland said: “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.”