Iceland has confirmed it will be permanently closing at least six of its stores across the UK in the coming days and weeks.
The frozen food retailer has been battling rising energy costs in recent months, and the first store closures will begin on Saturday, February 25, with more to come in March.
However, the firm, which has more than 500 Iceland branches and 153 Food Warehouse stores in the UK, has not given reasons for why it is closing the shops.
It comes as the retailer has been looking to cut costs amid skyrocketing inflation and a cost-of-living crisis, that has seen energy bills soar as consumers continue to hunt for the best deals to save cash.
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The closures mean some customers face having to change their shopping habits as their local branches leave the high street.
It is also not yet known if staff working at these stores will be at risk of redundancy.
The first two stores to close will be branches in Mill Lane, Bromsgrove, and Chineham Shopping Centre in Basingstoke, with both shutting their doors for good on Saturday, February 25.
This will be followed month by a number of stores in southern England and Wales, as reported by The Sun. These stores include Mill Lane, Bromsgrove and Chipenham Shopping Centre, Basingtstoke on February 25, White Rose Centre, Rhyl on March 14, South Street, Newport, Isle of Wight, and St Catherine’s Place, Bedminster, Bristol on March 25, and Deiniol Centre, Bangor on March 27.
An Iceland spokesperson told the publication: “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.”
Iceland, which specialises in frozen foods but has branched out in recent years to expand its offering and cut costs, was named the UK supermarket with the fastest rising prices with a 10.1% increase since January 2022.
“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,” Iceland boss Richard Walker told The Mail on Sunday.
In September, Iceland MD Richard Walker warned it had been forced to shelve new store openings as it dealt with a £20million increase in its energy bills.
Walker said Iceland was bearing the brunt of soaring prices more than other supermarkets because of its reliance on storing food in fridges and freezers.
