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| Iceland follows Morrisons into online grocery delivery market | Iceland follows Morrisons into online grocery delivery market |
| (4 months later) | |
| Iceland is to launch online grocery deliveries, following other value retailers including Morrisons and Primark into the fast-growing market after same-store sales growth slowed. | Iceland is to launch online grocery deliveries, following other value retailers including Morrisons and Primark into the fast-growing market after same-store sales growth slowed. |
| Like-for-like sales at the supermarket, best known for its frozen ready meals, rose 1.1% in the year to March, down from 6% growth in the previous year as the founder and chief executive, Malcolm Walker, admitted he "took his eye off the ball" while buying back the business. | Like-for-like sales at the supermarket, best known for its frozen ready meals, rose 1.1% in the year to March, down from 6% growth in the previous year as the founder and chief executive, Malcolm Walker, admitted he "took his eye off the ball" while buying back the business. |
| "We will offer our customers the ability to shop with us online, building on the successful initial trials of the service in selected stores that began last month," the company said. | "We will offer our customers the ability to shop with us online, building on the successful initial trials of the service in selected stores that began last month," the company said. |
| Morrisons plans to launch an online food business in conjunction with the internet grocer Ocado in January, while the discount clothes retailer Primark announced this week it was teaming up with its online rival Asos to offer a selection of clothes to internet shoppers. | Morrisons plans to launch an online food business in conjunction with the internet grocer Ocado in January, while the discount clothes retailer Primark announced this week it was teaming up with its online rival Asos to offer a selection of clothes to internet shoppers. |
| Both had held back from launching an online service: Morrisons doubted it could be profitable for grocery deliveries while George Weston, chief executive of Primark's parent company, Associated British Foods, said in April: "It is enough for us to have great fashion in good locations at the right price. That simply works for us." | Both had held back from launching an online service: Morrisons doubted it could be profitable for grocery deliveries while George Weston, chief executive of Primark's parent company, Associated British Foods, said in April: "It is enough for us to have great fashion in good locations at the right price. That simply works for us." |
| Britain's online food market is growing by about 16% a year and is forecast to almost double in value in five years to £11bn. | Britain's online food market is growing by about 16% a year and is forecast to almost double in value in five years to £11bn. |
| Walker, who in March 2012 took back control of the supermarket he founded 43 years ago, said Iceland had had a "year of two halves", with shrinking sales in the first part of the year followed by growth of about 2.5% in the second. "The reality is that we took our eye off the ball slightly," he said. "It was a big deal that we did and five days a week we were concentrating on doing the deal." He added: "Once the deal was done we got back to business and we got the sales flying again." | Walker, who in March 2012 took back control of the supermarket he founded 43 years ago, said Iceland had had a "year of two halves", with shrinking sales in the first part of the year followed by growth of about 2.5% in the second. "The reality is that we took our eye off the ball slightly," he said. "It was a big deal that we did and five days a week we were concentrating on doing the deal." He added: "Once the deal was done we got back to business and we got the sales flying again." |
| Walker said that although "massive growth could not go on forever", he insisted that the supermarket, which prides itself on its round-numbers pricing policy, had not peaked. | Walker said that although "massive growth could not go on forever", he insisted that the supermarket, which prides itself on its round-numbers pricing policy, had not peaked. |
| "When we did the deal we only budgeted to open 15 new stores a year and we promised our investors no growth. We said: 'We are a boring company, with flat sales, flat profits and no growth and 15 stores a year.' Now the reality is that this year we are going to open 40 stores." Iceland now has 790 stores. | "When we did the deal we only budgeted to open 15 new stores a year and we promised our investors no growth. We said: 'We are a boring company, with flat sales, flat profits and no growth and 15 stores a year.' Now the reality is that this year we are going to open 40 stores." Iceland now has 790 stores. |
| Walker said the online service would not make high-street stores redundant as goods will be shipped out from them rather than a central warehouse. | Walker said the online service would not make high-street stores redundant as goods will be shipped out from them rather than a central warehouse. |
| The supermarket, which sells lasagne meals for £1, was caught up in the horsemeat scandal, which Walker described as unfortunate publicity. "There was no horsemeat ever found in an Iceland product," he said. | The supermarket, which sells lasagne meals for £1, was caught up in the horsemeat scandal, which Walker described as unfortunate publicity. "There was no horsemeat ever found in an Iceland product," he said. |
| The company carried out its own tests, but the Food Safety Authority of Ireland found 0.1% of equine DNA in two varieties of Iceland quarter-pounders. Walker countered that standards in supermarkets were far more rigorous than school canteens. | The company carried out its own tests, but the Food Safety Authority of Ireland found 0.1% of equine DNA in two varieties of Iceland quarter-pounders. Walker countered that standards in supermarkets were far more rigorous than school canteens. |
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