Here's the latest on the Iceland stores closing down in 2023.
The last few years have taken a toll on the high street, with major department store House of Fraser closing down shops, homewares chain Wilko closing some stores, and M&S store closures occurring across the UK too. The effects of the pandemic and an increase in online shopping, as well as the cost of living crisis and soaring energy bills are partly to blame, and now another major chain has fallen victim to store closures.
Frozen food retailer Iceland is reportedly closing five stores across the UK in 2023, news which comes after the retailer confirmed it had put plans for expansion on hold last autumn. Here's everything we know about the Iceland stores closing down...
Which Iceland stores are closing down? Full list
- Birmingham Road Retail Park, Bromsgrove - closing February 25
- Chineham Shopping Centre, Basingstoke - closing February 25
- White Rose Centre, Rhyl - closing March 14
- South Street, Newport, Isle of Wight - closing in March
- St Catherine’s Place, Bedminster, Bristol - closure date to be confirmed
According to reports, Iceland is set to close five of its stores across the UK, though the closure date for some of the stores is not yet known, and it is also not known if workers' jobs are at risk of redundancy.
In January, Bristol Live, reported that staff had been told the store in St Catherine's Place would be closing in February, but that so far Iceland have declined to comment on the closure or confirm what will happen to staff.
In addition, September saw Richard Walker, Iceland's executive chairman, confirm that the frozen food chain has put expansion on hold, saying the group was "fighting to keep the lights on."
Why are Iceland stores closing down?
The exact reason for the reported Iceland stores closures is not known, but it could well be linked to the high energy costs and a shift to shopping online after the pandemic - both of which have taken a toll on other chains on the high street.
Back in September, Iceland boss Richard Walker called for an energy price cap for British businesses, after his latest energy bill rose by £20million. He 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."
He added that what government "need to understand" is that "this affects big businesses as well as small, because it’s exactly the same trouble we’re in - there’s just more jobs at stake."
However, he did also say, "Iceland is going to be large and strong enough to ride out this storm."
How many Iceland stores are there in the UK?
There are currently more than 500 Iceland stores in the UK, as well as a further 153 outlets of their Food Warehouse brand.
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