Iceland says it will take its online shopping service national by the end of its current financial year. The service, trialled last May, had been extended to 280 stores by the end of March.
Orders made online are picked from local stores and delivered using Iceland’s existing home delivery network. Delivery is free, subject to a £35 minimum order value.
Last November Iceland also launched Iceland Appliances in partnership with AO.com.
In the year to March 28, total sales rose by 2.7% to £2.7bn, while like-for-like sales stayed flat. Meanwhile earnings before interest, tax and depreciation came in at £202.2m, down from £226.3m at the same time last year.
The fall in profits, said the company, reflected its investment in prices and in both its online delivery service and in overseas expansion.
In the year to March 2014 the company opened a net 43 new stores, to end the year with 833. It has a further 11 international stores, in markets including Ireland and the Czech Republic, while it also started exporting to South Africa and the Middle East during the year. In the current year it expects to open 40 more UK stores.
Iceland chairman and chief executive Malcolm Walker CBE said:
“This has been a year of major investment for Iceland both at home and overseas. In the UK we accelerated our expansion programme with the opening of 46 new stores and also rolled out our online shopping offer to 280 stores. Overseas we began to serve important new export markets in South Africa and the Middle East, acquired the formerly franchised Iceland stores in the Republic of Ireland and opened two additional stores in the Czech Republic.”
