Iceland to launch new convenience store format Swift this week
Iceland is preparing to unveil a new convenience store format, with the first branch set to open this week.
The frozen food retailer will launch the Swift store concept in Newcastle on Thursday, according to reports.
The store will be in a converted Iceland branch and will sell “the full spectrum of grocery” with a commitment to “faster and easier shopping”.
Despite being smaller it will sell a greater range of products than Iceland’s main supermarkets, as the grocer targets the “food for now, and food for later” convenience category.
Iceland trademarked the Swift branding last year, prompting reports that the company was exploring a rapid retail concept.
Iceland managing director Richard Walker posted a photo of the new store on Twitter this morning, saying it would be “an exciting week ahead”.
The move comes after Amazon launched a physical grocery store in London – it’s first outside of the US – as competition in the convenience retail market heats up.
The Amazon Fresh store in Ealing carries a private UK food brand dubbed “by Amazon” and customers are able to skip the checkout queue with contactless payment through an app.