Examine individual changes

'{{About|the supermarket chain|supermarkets in Iceland|List of supermarket chains in Iceland}} {{redirect|Iceland [the country] Foods|foods of Iceland|Icelandic cuisine}} {{Refimprove|date=November 2013}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2014}} {{Infobox company | name = Iceland (the country) Foods Ltd | logo = [[File:Icelandlogo15.png|200px]] | type = [[Privately held company|Private]] | foundation = 1970 | industry = [[Retail]]ing | location = [[Deeside]], Wales, United Kingdom | num_locations = 800+<ref name="Guardian24112016" /> | num_locations_year = 2016 | key_people = Malcolm Walker (Founder and CEO) | products = [[Frozen foods]] and [[Grocery|Groceries]] | profit = £160 million (2014) | num_employees = 23,000+<ref name="Guardian24112016" /> | num_employees_year = 2016 }} '''Iceland Foods Ltd''' (trading as '''Iceland''') is a British [[supermarket]] chain, with emphasis on the sale of frozen foods, including prepared meals and vegetables. They also sell non-frozen grocery items such as produce, meat, dairy, and dry goods. The company has an approximate 1.8% share of the UK food market. ==History== Iceland began business in 1970, when Malcolm Walker opened the first store in Leg Street, [[Oswestry]], [[Shropshire]], England, with his business partner Peter Hinchcliffe investing £59 for one month's rent at the store.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://about.iceland.co.uk/about-iceland/the-iceland-story/|title=The Iceland Story}}</ref> Walker chose the name as he was a family friend of the recently deposed Icelandic Prime Minister [[Hermann Jónasson]].<ref name="referenceforbusiness.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/history2/83/Iceland-Group-plc.html|title=Iceland Group plc – Company Profile, Information, Business Description, History, Background Information on Iceland Group plc|publisher=|accessdate=23 August 2015}}</ref> They were still employees of [[Woolworths Group plc|Woolworths]] at the time, and their employment was terminated once their employer discovered their job on the side. Iceland initially specialised in loose frozen food.<ref name="referenceforbusiness.com"/> By 1977 they opened a new store in Manchester selling own labelled packaged food, and by 1978 it had 28 stores to its name.<ref name="fundinguniverse.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/the-big-food-group-plc-history/|title=History of the big Food Group – Funding Universe|accessdate=30 April 2015}}</ref> [[File:IcelandStoreExterior.jpg|thumb|The exterior of an Iceland supermarket in [[Horwich]], [[Bolton]], [[Greater Manchester]].]] In 1983, the business grew by purchasing the 18 stores of [[Bristol]] based St. Catherine's Freezer Centres, and in 1984 the business went public for the first time.<ref name="fundinguniverse.com"/> The cash investment was used to purchase South East based Orchard Frozen Foods in 1986, and the purchase of larger rival [[Bejam]] in 1988. In 1993 Iceland took over the food halls of the [[Littlewoods]] department store and also acquired the French Au Gel chain. The latter move proved unsuccessful and the stores were dropped within a year.<ref name="referenceforbusiness.com"/> In 1996, seven stores were opened in [[Dublin]] and one in [[Letterkenny]]. They all closed down in 2005 owing to financial difficulties. The supermarket also attempted ties with [[British Home Stores]].<ref>{{cite web|author=Julia Finch |url=https://www.theguardian.com/efinance/article/0,2763,184599,00.html |title=Iceland seeks cooler image with online rebranding &#124; Business |work=The Guardian |date=22 March 2000 |accessdate=3 November 2013}}</ref> In May 2000, Iceland merged with [[Booker-McConnell|Booker plc]] with Booker's [[Stuart Rose]] taking the role of CEO of the merged company.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8366635.stm|title=BBC News : Sir Stuart Rose's legacy at M&S|publisher=|accessdate=23 August 2015}}</ref> He left for the [[Arcadia Group]] in November 2000<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ucs.ac.uk/Alumni/Graduation-Gallery/HonoraryGraduates/SirStuartRose.aspx|title=Sir Stuart Rose|publisher=|accessdate=23 August 2015}}</ref> and was replaced by [[Bill Grimsey]] in January 2001.<ref name="IND-2001-01-23">{{cite web|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110101114137/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/comment/iceland-pays-the-price-of-roses-organic-neglect-703404.html |title=Iceland pays the price of Rose's organic neglect - Business Comment, Business - The Independent |publisher=Web.archive.org |date= |accessdate=2016-12-12}}</ref> [[File:Iceland supermarket front.jpg|thumb|Iceland store in [[south London]].]] Soon after Grimsey's appointment, Malcolm Walker, Iceland's founder and chairman, was forced to stand down as it was revealed that he had sold £13.5 million of Iceland shares five weeks before the company released the first of several profits warnings.<ref name="Tel-2001-04-11">{{cite web|author=Finance |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/4480049/Walker-quits-after-Iceland-sales-dive.html |title=Walker quits after Iceland sales dive |work=The Daily Telegraph |accessdate=3 November 2013}}</ref><ref name="Tel-2001-08-21">{{cite web|author=Finance |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/2730881/I-acted-properly-says-Icelands-Malcolm-Walker.html |title='I acted properly' says Iceland's Malcolm Walker |work=The Daily Telegraph |accessdate=3 November 2013}}</ref> Walker was fully cleared of these allegations in October 2004.<ref name="MoS-2004-10-17">{{cite web|author=Andrew Oxlade |url=http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/news/article.html?in_article_id=394530&in_page_id=2&in_a_source= |title=Markets price in better chance of 2010 interest rate rise |publisher=This is Money |date=23 April 2010 |accessdate=3 November 2013}}</ref> Iceland's holding company was renamed [[the Big Food Group]] in February 2002,<ref name="AboutIceland">{{cite web|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071214204438/http://www.iceland.co.uk/page/view/about_iceland_story |title=The Iceland story |publisher=Web.archive.org |date=2007-12-14 |accessdate=2016-12-12}}</ref> and attempted a refocus on the convenience sector with a bid for [[Londis (United Kingdom)|Londis]].<ref name="Londis">{{cite news | url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/londis-shareholders-wooed-with-letters-from-iceland-74723.html | title=Londis shareholders wooed with letters from Iceland | work=[[The Independent]] | date=4 January 2004 | accessdate=5 July 2016 | author=Townsend, Abigail}}</ref> Grimsey remained until the takeover and demerger of the Big Food Group by a consortium led by the Icelandic company, [[Baugur Group]] in February 2005.{{Citation needed|date=November 2013}} Walker returned to his previous role at Iceland.<ref name="AboutIceland"/> Iceland's website has a page critical of Grimsey's period in control.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iceland.co.uk/page/view/recovery_plan |title=Welcome to Iceland Foods |publisher=Iceland.co.uk |date= |accessdate=2015-08-25}}</ref> After Baugur Group collapsed in 2009, a 77% stake in Iceland came into the ownership of the Icelandic banks [[Landsbanki]] and [[Glitnir (bank)|Glitnir]].{{Citation needed|date=November 2013}} In 2012 the stake was purchased by a consortium including Malcolm Walker and [[Graham Kirkham]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-03-09/iceland-foods-ceo-walker-acquires-u-k-supermarket-chain-for-2-3-billion.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131031204124/http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-03-09/iceland-foods-ceo-walker-acquires-u-k-supermarket-chain-for-2-3-billion.html|title=Iceland Foods CEO Walker Purchases U.K. Frozen Food Chain for $2.3 Billion|archivedate=31 October 2013|work=Bloomberg|accessdate=23 August 2015}}</ref> Since Malcolm Walker's return to the company, Iceland has reduced the workforce by 500 jobs at the Deeside head office, with approximately 300 jobs moved in September as a result of a relocation of a distribution warehouse from Deeside to [[Warrington]].{{Citation needed|date=November 2013}} During July 2006, 300 workers took industrial action with the support of their union, blocking several lorries from entering the depot. Despite this, the transfer to Warrington took place and the new warehouse was later outsourced to [[DHL Express|DHL]] in April 2007.{{Citation needed|date=November 2013}} In November 2008, Iceland re-entered the Irish market, when it reopened a store in Ballyfermot in Dublin, after Iceland agreed a franchise deal with an Irish cash and carry company, AIM,<ref>{{cite web|last=Garvey |first=Anthony |url=http://www.thegrocer.co.uk/articles.aspx?page=articles&ID=196449 |title=Iceland returns to Ireland with franchise deal |publisher=Thegrocer.co.uk |accessdate=3 November 2013}}</ref> and in November 2009 a second store reopened in [[Finglas]], Dublin. A third opened on the Navan Road in September 2010. A fourth store opened in the [[Ilac Centre]] in Dublin in November 2010. There are now ten Iceland stores in Ireland.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iceland.ie/storefinder/ |title=Iceland Foods Ireland :: Store Location |publisher=Iceland.ie |accessdate=31 January 2016}}</ref> [[File:IcelandStoreInterior.jpg|thumb|The interior of an Iceland supermarket in [[Horwich]], [[Bolton]], [[Greater Manchester]] ]] In January 2009, Iceland announced that it would buy 51 stores in the UK from the failed [[Woolworths Group]] chain, three days after the final 200 Woolworths stores closed their doors for the last time.<ref name="51 stores bought">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7820981.stm |title=Business &#124; Iceland buys 51 Woolworths stores |publisher=BBC News |date=9 January 2009 |accessdate=3 November 2013}}</ref> In April 2009, Iceland announced plans to close its appliance showrooms by September 2009 to concentrate on food retailing.<ref>h{{cite web|url=http://about.iceland.co.uk/_assets/files/Iceland_Foods_Appliance_Showroom_Closure.pdf |format=PDF |title=Iceland Foods Closes Applainces Showrooms |publisher=About.iceland.co.uk |accessdate=2015-08-25}}</ref> Iceland's sales for the year ended 27 March 2009 were £2.08 billion, a 16% increase on the previous year, with net profits of £113.7 million.<ref name="record">{{cite news | url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/business/business-news/iceland-announces-record-sales-figures-2099936 | title=Iceland announces record sales figures | work=[[Wales Online]] | date=13 June 2009 | accessdate=5 July 2016}}</ref> An additional Iceland store opened in Dudley town centre on 2 December 2010 in part of the former [[Beatties]] department store, 21 years after their initial departure from the town.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.expressandstar.com/news/business/2010/08/23/iceland-in-move-to-former-beatties-store/ |title=Iceland in move to former Beatties store « Express & Star |work=Express & Star |date=23 August 2010 |accessdate=3 November 2013}}</ref> Iceland also operates stores in Spain and Portugal, in conjunction with Spanish-based retailer Overseas. The stores stock Iceland products as well as [[Waitrose]]'s.<ref>{{cite web|last=Lawson |first=Alex |url=http://www.racplus.com/news/iceland-forms-partnership-in-czech-republic/8626978.article |title=Iceland forms partnership in Czech Republic &#124; Refrigeration and Air Conditioning |publisher=Racplus.com |date=27 February 2012 |accessdate=3 November 2013 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151001124222/http://www.racplus.com/news/iceland-forms-partnership-in-czech-republic/8626978.article |archivedate=1 October 2015 }}</ref> On 28 July 2012 Iceland opened a store in Kópavogur, Iceland.<ref>{{cite web|last=Morgunblaðið | url=http://www.mbl.is/frettir/innlent/2012/07/03/iceland_opnar_28_juli/ |title=Iceland opens its first store in Iceland (in Icelandic) |publisher=mbl.is |date=3 July 2012 |accessdate=8 December 2014}}</ref> Today Iceland operates 3 24/7 stores located in Kópavogur and the capital [[Reykjavík]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Iceland | url=http://www.icelandbudir.is/ |title=Iceland's Icelandic website (in Icelandic) |publisher=Ísland-Verslun hf |date=8 December 2014}}</ref> [[Sandpiper CI]] has five Iceland franchise supermarkets in [[Jersey]] and two in [[Guernsey]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sandpiperci.com/franchises/iceland |title=Iceland • SandpiperCI |publisher=Sandpiperci.com |accessdate=3 November 2013 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131021215517/http://www.sandpiperci.com/franchises/iceland |archivedate=21 October 2013 }}</ref> In 2013, two labs, one in Ireland and another in Germany, on behalf of the Irish state agency FSAI, identified 0.1% equine DNA in some Iceland products. Malcolm Walker caused controversy when on a BBC ''Panorama'' programme (18 February 2013) he was asked why the products had passed British tests but failed the Irish ones. He replied, "Well, that's the Irish, isn't it?".<ref name="irishtimes.com">{{cite web|url=https://web.archive.org/web/19700101000000/http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2013/0219/breaking20.html |title=Internet Archive Wayback Machine |publisher=Web.archive.org |date=2013-03-15 |accessdate=2016-12-12}}</ref> On 25 November 2013, Iceland acquired seven Irish stores which were previously franchised.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.retail-week.com/sectors/food/iceland-acquires-its-seven-franchised-irish-stores/5055247.article |title=Iceland acquires its seven franchised Irish stores|work=Retail Week |date=28 August 2010 |accessdate=28 November 2013}}</ref> On 27 November, Iceland began selling appliances online again in partnership with [[DRL Limited]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thegrocer.co.uk/companies/iceland-appliances-to-sell-fridges-and-freezers-via-the-web/352058.article |title=Iceland launches white goods site in tie-up with AO.com owner DRL|publisher=The Grocer |date=28 August 2010 |accessdate=28 November 2013}}</ref> In May 2014, Iceland reintroduced online shopping, which was dropped in 2007.<ref>{{cite web|title=Iceland to launch click and collect service|url=http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/sectors/retail/iceland-to-launch-click-and-collect-service/4008969.article|publisher=marketing week|accessdate=6 January 2014}}</ref> ==Promotions== The company has more recently made large scale changes its promotions. In the past "Buy One Get One Free" and Meal Deals (a selection of products for a set price) were common in stores. These have now been reduced and replaced with products offering bigger packs at the original prices. The pricing system has also been changed with many products having their prices rounded up or down to the nearest multiple of 25p, this is known as ''Clear Cut Prices''. 2006 also saw a huge surge in 'Home Delivery' promotion. This service is now one of the main focuses of the company. When a customer spends £25 or more whilst shopping in store, they have the option of free same-day or next-day home delivery, from available time slots. Customers can also shop online and receive free home delivery if they spend more than £35 online. On 6 October 2008, Iceland launched the "Bonus Card", a [[loyalty card]] and replacement for the original home delivery card. It allows customers to save money onto the card, with Iceland putting £1 onto the card each time a customer saves £25, and also gives occasional discounts, offers, and entry to competitions, including their main competition, which is that each month one Bonus Card holder from every store wins the entire cost of their shop for free.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.iceland.co.uk/bonus-card/about-bonus-card/|title=Discover the Iceland Bonus Card – Bursting with benefits|publisher=|accessdate=23 August 2015}}</ref> As of January 2016, Iceland discontinued the selling of saving stamps at their stores, instead redirecting people to save money onto their Bonus Cards instead. ==Identity and marketing== [[File:Iceland logo.svg|thumb|left|160px|Iceland logo until 2015.]] Iceland historically advertised with the slogan "Mums Love It", which was changed to "Are we doing a deal or are we doing a deal?" and "Feel the deal" in the early 2000s. From the mid-2000s new ads featuring [[Kerry Katona]] saw a return to a slogan more traditionally associated with Iceland – "So that's why mums go to Iceland!" Katona was dropped as the face of Iceland in 2009, after a tabloid newspaper published pictures allegedly showing her taking [[cocaine]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2009/aug/18/kerry-katona-iceland|title=Kerry Katona dropped by Iceland|author=Stephen Brook|work=the Guardian|accessdate=23 August 2015}}</ref> She was succeeded by [[Coleen Nolan]], Ellie Taylor,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://about.iceland.co.uk/_assets/files/NewFaceWinner.pdf |format=PDF |title=N'Ice Work Ellie |publisher=About.iceland.co.uk |accessdate=2015-08-25}}</ref> [[Stacey Solomon]] and [[Jason Donovan]], who has also frequently appeared in the company's Christmas advert campaigns. [[Peter Andre]] is the current face of Iceland.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/showbiz/news/a591648/peter-andre-announced-as-new-face-of-supermarket-chain-iceland.html|title=Peter Andre announced as new face of supermarket chain Iceland|work=Digital Spy|accessdate=23 August 2015}}</ref> The current main tagline is the truncated "That's why mums go to Iceland". Store fronts also bear the tagline "food you can trust", and carrier bags in stores bear the tagline "the frozen food experts". Since May 2015, the TV adverts have used the tagline and [[hashtag]] of "Power Of Frozen" <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.foodbev.com/news/iceland-debuts-power-of-frozen-television-advertising-campaign/|title=Iceland debuts Power of Frozen television advertising campaign|work=FoodBev|accessdate=23 August 2015}}</ref> and are fronted and voiced over by [[Peter Andre]], explaining the benefits of frozen products. When the chain bought rival [[Bejam]] in 1989, they launched the TV-advertising campaign "Use Our Imagination," which included a song. The campaign was launched so quickly after the takeover that they had no time to convert all Bejam stores to the "Iceland" fascia. Because of this in the song for the commercial featured the line "We're at Bejam's too..." In 2013, Iceland stores appeared in a BBC documentary called ''[[Iceland Foods: Life in The Freezer Cabinet]]''. Iceland was the main sponsor of the [[ITV (TV channel)|ITV]] reality TV show ''[[I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! (UK TV series)|I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!]]'' from its [[I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! (UK series 6)|sixth series]] in 2006 until its [[I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! (UK series 14)|fourteenth series]] in 2014. Iceland Foods holds a Europe-wide trademark for the word "Iceland". It has pursued legal action against Icelandic companies which use the word "Iceland" in their trading names. Although the [[government of Iceland]] has sought to find a solution to this issue, negotiations have reportedly been unsuccessful. In November 2016, the Icelandic government filed a legal challenge at the [[European Union Intellectual Property Office]] to have the company's trademark invalidated "on the basis that the term ‘Iceland’ is exceptionally broad and ambiguous in definition, often rendering the country’s firms unable to describe their products as Icelandic".<ref name="Guardian24112016">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/nov/24/government-of-iceland-to-challenge-retail-chain-iceland-over-name-use|title=Iceland government challenges retail chain Iceland over name use|last=Butler|first=Sarah|work=The Guardian|date=24 November 2016|accessdate=24 November 2016}}</ref> ==Store locations== [[File:Iceland In Spain.jpg|thumb|right|An Iceland store in Spain.]] {| class="wikitable" |- ! Country ! Number of stores |- | {{UK}} | 800 + |- | {{ESP}} | 14 |- | {{IRL}} | 12 |- | {{flagcountry|Jersey}} | 6<ref name="sandpiperci.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.sandpiperci.com/store-finder/iceland |title=Iceland – Sandpiper CI |publisher=Sandpiper CI |accessdate=2015-09-21}}</ref> |- | {{flagcountry|Czech Republic}} | 6<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.iceland.cz/kontakt/prodejny/ |title=Iceland Czech a.s. |publisher=Iceland Czech a.s. |accessdate=2016-11-30}}</ref> |- | {{flagcountry|Iceland}} | 3<ref>{{cite web|title=Official Iceland (Iceland) Website|url=http://icelandbudir.is/|accessdate=2016-12-04}}</ref> |- | {{flagcountry|Guernsey}} | 3<ref name="sandpiperci.com" /> |- | {{MT}} | 1 |- | {{POR}} | 1 |- | {{flagcountry|Libya}} | 1 |} ==References== {{Reflist|colwidth=30em}} ==External links== * [http://www.iceland.co.uk/ Iceland (UK)] * [http://www.iceland.ie/ Iceland (Ireland)] * {{Commons category inline|Iceland (supermarket)}} {{Iceland Foods Ltd}} {{UK supermarkets}} {{Supermarkets in Ireland}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Iceland (Supermarket)}} [[Category:British companies established in 1970]] [[Category:Privately held companies of the United Kingdom]] [[Category:Retail companies established in 1970]] [[Category:Retail companies of the United Kingdom]] [[Category:Supermarkets of Spain]] [[Category:Supermarkets of Portugal]] [[Category:Supermarkets of the Czech Republic]] [[Category:Supermarkets of the Republic of Ireland]] [[Category:Supermarkets of the United Kingdom]] [[Category:Welsh brands]]'