Frozen supermarket chain Iceland is to open four more convenience stores in the UK, following a successful trial in Four Lane Ends, Newcastle.
Boss Richard Walker said the frozen foods specialist has its eyes on London, as it rolls its Swift branded stores out this year. The trial Swift store opened a year ago on the site of the former Iceland store on Benton Road, Four Lane Ends.
The new shop has around twice the range of the former store, and at the time of opening, Iceland told trade magazine The Grocer that it didn’t want Swift to be known for just selling frozen food.
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"Its novel layout breaks down the traditional barriers between frozen and chilled food to provide a complete range of meal solutions," a spokesman said.
The Swift format is branded as offering everything from “grocery, chilled, fresh, frozen, alcohol, cigarettes and tobacco and food-to-go” to challenge Tesco Express and Sainsbury’s Local. Iceland hasn’t said exactly where in London it plans on opening its next Swift stores, or when they will open.
Iceland's sister chain Food Warehouse will also open 30 more stores every year for the foreseeable future, Mr Walker told The Guardian. There are currently around 50 Iceland stores in the North East and five Food Warehouses, with a sixth planned for Cramlington soon.
