Iceland Foods is to become the first UK high street retailer to expand to the Falkland Islands, after confirming it plans to open a store in the British overseas territory.
The new standalone store will open in the Falklands’ capital Stanley, in early December. Iceland is working in partnership with local retailer Kelper Stores, part of the Fortuna Group, which operates convenience stores on the islands.
Iceland Foods Stanley will stock a range of the supermarket’s own-label and exclusive products, including lines from its Cathedral City, Myprotein and TGI Fridays ranges.
The announcement has drawn notable headlines as the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands faces renewed threats from Argentina’s right-wing president Javier Milei, who last week reiterated Argentina’s claim to ‘Las Malvinas’, in a heightening of tensions not seen since the 1982 war over the Islands.
On Tuesday, Argentina said it had sanctioned 60 individuals and companies participating in what it said was “illegal” oil exploration in the archipelago. It also started criminal proceedings against the Israeli oil company Navitas Petroleum.
In response to Milei’s rhetoric, last week Iceland chairman Richard Walker, who is a Labour peer, hinted in a LinkedIn post that the supermarket was committed to opening a store in the Falklands as part of its international expansion.
“Iceland Foods has a proud history of ‘firsts’ and we are proud to be backing Britain by becoming the first UK high street retailer to open in the Falkland Islands,” Walker said, confirming the new store.
“The Falklands are a special part of the British family and it’s always been an ambition of mine to support it, so being able to bring Iceland to Stanley is a huge moment for us. We’ve built our business around giving customers great quality and value, and we’re proud to bring the power of frozen to the Islands.”
Walker would personally travel to the new store to greet customers when it opened.
The new store marked an “important moment” for Iceland’s international aspirations, he said. It follows Iceland’s recent re-entry to Korea and expansion into China, as well as a renewed growth in the Nordics including a new store in the country of Iceland.
“This is a major milestone for the Falklands, and we’re excited to be working with Iceland to bring the first-ever franchise store to Stanley,” said Kelper Stores general manager Sarah Clarke.
“Our customers will enjoy a wide product range and better value for money as a result.”
No comments yet