Iceland’s Walker fires broadside at old rival Grimsey
ICELAND founder Malcolm Walker has opened the retailer’s 800th store and fired a broadside at Bill Grimsey – who has just conducted a major review on the future of the high street.
Mr Walker, who returned to lead Iceland in 2005 after previously being ousted from the grocery business by Mr Grimsey’s regime, questioned his capabilities to conduct the review.
As well as Iceland Mr Grimsey ran Cheshire DIY retailer Focus, which went into administration in 2011.
Mr Walker said: “When my colleagues and I returned to rescue a grossly mismanaged business in 2005, we initially closed or sold a number of stores.
“However, over the last four years we have opened a total of 145 net new Iceland stores around the UK, creating more than 4,000 new jobs, and we are on track to exceed our target of adding a further 40 new stores in our current financial year.
“At a time when certain individuals are pontificating on the grim future of the high street, perhaps reflecting their own track record of failure in this arena, it is worth pointing out that the majority of our new store openings are in high street locations, and are generating good sales and returns on our investment.”
The 800th Iceland shop is in Beccles, East Anglia. The Deeside-based group has also opened new outlets in Berwick-upon-Tweed and Hartlepool.
Cheshire-based Mr Walker, who founded the business in the early 1970s, added: “With our expanding presence on the high street complemented by our growing online shopping business in the UK and expansion overseas, the future of Iceland has never looked brighter than it does today.”
