A MAJOR supermarket chain with 900 branches is closing another of its stores in a matter of weeks.
Iceland is pulling down the shutters permanently on its site in Welling, London, in a fresh blow for shoppers.
A spokesperson for the frozen goods supermarket said the store would close on February 1.
They added: “Our store colleagues have entered into a consultation process and have been offered opportunities at surrounding stores where possible.”
Locals who rely on the Welling branch to pick up their weekly shopping have been left devastated after finding out it will shut.
Posting on Facebook, one said: “Iceland in Welling is closing for good in February. Another good store gone from our high street.”
Another commented: “We’ll have no bl**dy shops in Welling before long.”
A third disgruntled customer added: “Oh my goodness how the hell can the generation who can’t do online (shopping) with no family cope. It’s so sad.”
The Welling branch is one of a number of Iceland stores that have closed in the New Year.
A site in Borehamwood and another in Exeter permanently shut on Saturday.
The latest closure means Iceland has shut more than 20 stores since the start of 2023.
But, it’s not all bad news as the frozen foods specialist has plans to open 250 new Food Warehouses.
[bc_video account_id=”5067014667001″ application_id=”” aspect_ratio=”16:9″ autoplay=”” caption=”Four ways to save money on your weekly shop in Iceland” embed=”in-page” experience_id=”” height=”100%” language_detection=”” max_height=”360px” max_width=”640px” min_width=”0px” mute=”” padding_top=”56%” picture_in_picture=”” player_id=”default” playlist_id=”” playsinline=”” sizing=”responsive” video_id=”6353718908112″ video_ids=”” width=”640px”]Last week, a spokesperson said it would open 20 Iceland and Food Warehouse stores before the end of April.
Retailers often close shops based on customer demand and trends, opening them in areas where they are likely to see more sales.
Chains sometimes close single stores due to a lease ending and them not wanting to renegotiate a new one, or an area being redeveloped.
Iceland first launched the Food Warehouse store concept in 2014, with over 150 currently running across the UK.
The shops are generally larger than traditional Iceland branches and typically found in retail parks instead of on the high street.
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Plenty of other retailers are closing stores across the high street as households lean more towards online shopping and amid high business rates.
Soaring inflation in recent years has also dented shoppers’ pockets.
The Centre for Retail Research’s latest analysis suggests 13,479 stores, the equivalent of 37 each day, shut for good in 2024.
Of those, 11,341 were independent shops while 2,138 were shut by larger retailers.
The data also showed over half the stores that closed last year were shut due to the store or retailer going through insolvency proceedings.
This is when formal measures are taken to deal with tackling a business‘s debt.
Retailers are shutting stores in 2025 too.
The Body Shop is pulling down the shutters on five branches on January 15 in Exeter, Plymouth, Horsham, Norwich and Sheffield.
Three other branches have already closed in Cambridge and Hove.
Stationer WHSmith is closing a branch in Bournemouth on January 15 while Monki has announced plans to shut seven stores this year.
The Entertainer is also closed its outlet branch in the Cameron Toll Shopping Centre, Edinburgh, on January 4.
All in all, the Centre for Retail Research estimates more stores will close this year than last.
It predicts around 17,350 sites to close for good, made up of around 14,660 independent shops.
But, like with Iceland, it’s not all doom and gloom across the sector and a number of retailers are opening branches across the UK.
A number of discounters are cashing in on shoppers’ squeezed pockets, including Aldi, B&M, Lidl and Home Bargains, by opening hundreds of shops between them.