Popular food retailer Iceland has announced that it will close a number of stores across the country as of today, with it uncertain as to whether staff working and the selected outlets are at risk of redundancy.
The iconic supermarket, which was founded in 1970, has announced that half a dozen stores across the United Kingdom will close across the coming weeks, with Mill Lane, Bromsgrove and Chineham Shopping Centre, Basingstoke closing their doors today (February 24).
An Iceland spokesperson told The Sun: "We continually review our Iceland Foods and The Food Warehouse store portfolio to ensure we’re delivering the best experiences for our customers across the country."
Read more: How to save £20 at Tesco, Morrisons, Iceland, Waitrose and other stores with TopCashback
The Express reports that currently, there are around 500 Iceland branches and 153 Food Warehouse stores in the UK. Iceland specialises in frozen foods but has diversified its offering in recent years.
For the six months up to September, the company recorded an operating loss of £4million. Iceland boss Richard Walker previously warned it had been forced to halt new store openings as it dealt with a £20million increase in its energy bills.
Mr Walker explained he was 'fighting to keep the lights on' and called for an energy price cap for British businesses. While many businesses are struggling with soaring energy bill prices, Iceland has suffered 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.”
Full list of Iceland shops shutting:
Mill Lane, Bromsgrove - February 24
Chineham Shopping Centre, Basingstoke - February 24
- White Rose Centre, Rhyl - March 14
- South Street, Newport, Isle of Wight - March 25
- St Catherine’s Place, Bedminster, Bristol - March 25
- Deiniol Centre, Bangor - March 27
It is not known whether the six locations mentioned above have been temporarily closed or will be permanently closed.
Iceland are not the only high street store to be closing some of its doors, Marks and Spencer has accelerated plans to close some it its stores across the UK. Marks and Spencer is having a five-year shakeup, with 110 stores being closed altogether, and 104 new 'bigger and fresher' food stores opening.
A total of 67 out of the 104 stores being closed have had plans accelerated, with the following seven stores being closed this year.
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