Skip to content
Search
AI Powered
Latest Stories

Iceland set to close Swift c-stores

Iceland set to close Swift c-stores
Image tweeted by Richard Walker

Iceland is set to close its Swift convenience stores as it begins the rollout of Iceland-branded ‘Local’ sites.

The move will see four stores permanently closed, while one is to be converted into a standard Iceland store, reports stated. Staff working at the Swift sites in Finsbury Park, Archway, Wembley, Hounslow and Four Lanes End in Newcastle will be offered a transfer to the retailer’s close-by store and provided with the same working hours.


The Swift format was first launched in Newcastle in March 2021. The other Swift stores are all in London with the last of the five stores opened in Finsbury Park in August 2022. Swift was designed to be a convenience format covering grocery, frozen food, fresh and food-to-go.

An Iceland statement said: “We are continually reviewing and developing our retail portfolio to ensure we are delivering on value and convenience in the communities we serve. We won’t be progressing our Swift fascia, but our Iceland, Food Warehouse and Iceland Local brands continue to go from strength to strength with new store openings across the UK.

“In London, where we experimented with the Swift format, we are experiencing strong growth, investing £3m over the next 12 months in modernising our existing estate and opening new stores.”

The frozen food retailer opened its first Iceland Local convenience store on a Texaco garage forecourt in Fallings Park, Wolverhampton on March 31, which is owned and operated by SGN Retail. The store features ambient, chilled and frozen aisles and offers own-label products, as well as items from partnered brands Slimming World, Myprotein and Harry Ramsden’s.

More for you

Britvic growth in annual revenue and profits

Strong numbers for Britvic

Britvic, the soft drinks manufacturer set to be acquired by Carlsberg, has posted robust annual results after investment in marketing and product innovation helped it maintain demand for its brands.

Over the year to Sept 30, the company’s pre-tax profits climbed 10.5 per cent to £173.2 million despite a £21.3m hit related to the proposed Carlsberg deal. Britvic stated that its growth was driven by both volume and price-mix, with strong demand for brands such as Pepsi, Tango, Lipton, MiWadi and Ballygowan.

Keep ReadingShow less
Met Police identifies four suspects in Post Office Horizon scandal

Met Police identifies four suspects in Post Office Horizon scandal

The Metropolitan Police has identified two new suspects in its investigation into possible criminal offences as part of the Post Office Horizon scandal. This takes the total number of individuals to four as the force also revealed it believes more suspects will be identified as the inquiry progresses.

Scotland Yard said members of the investigation team met with Sir Alan Bates, the leading Post Office campaigner, and fellow victims to update them on the development.

Keep ReadingShow less
Discover Britain's top hotspots for independent shops

(Photo by Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images)

Discover Britain's top hotspots for independent shops

New research by American Express Shop Small reveals the nation’s top 10 hotspots for independent shops, showcasing the small businesses and the valuable role they plan in their local communities.

American Express partnered with retail experts GlobalData to identify the top high streets for independent shops through ranking factors such as the number of independent outlets, variety of business types, and vibrancy of the high street.

Keep ReadingShow less
'Walkable high streets boost economy'
(Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
Getty Images

'Walkable high streets boost economy'

Shoppers who walk and wheel spend more than those arriving by car, states a recent report, demonstrating the significant economic and social benefits of investing in walkable town centres, challenging traditional views on urban accessibility.

The findings published in third edition of "The Pedestrian Pound Report", recently published by Living Streets, the UK charity for everyday walking, come at a critical juncture for British high streets, with a record number of retail failures in 2022 and a vacancy rate of nearly one in seven by the end of 2023.

Keep ReadingShow less
Yvette Cooper

Home secretary Yvette Cooper speaking at the annual conference hosted by the NPCC and APCC on 19 November 2024

Photo: GOV.UK

Home secretary pledges to restore neighbourhood policing

Home secretary Yvette Cooper has announced plans to rebuild neighbourhood policing and combat surging shop theft as part of an ambitious programme of reform to policing.

In her first major speech at the annual conference hosted by the National Police Chiefs’ Council and Association of Police and Crime Commissioners on Tuesday, Cooper highlighted four of the key areas for reform: neighbourhood policing, police performance, structures and capabilities, crime prevention.

Keep ReadingShow less