Iceland is a British supermarket chain operating in the UK and Ireland, headquartered in Deeside, Wales, with over 800 stores. Its main product line is frozen food, including ready meals and vegetables. The company holds approximately 1.8% of the UK food market share.
Iceland began trading in 1970 when Malcolm Walker, along with his business partner Peter Hinchcliffe, opened the first specialist store on Leg Street in Oswestry, Shropshire, England, with a monthly rent of ￡60. Initially, the store specialized in selling frozen food.
In 1993, Iceland took over the Littlewoods department store and acquired the French chain Au Gel. The company operates in Ireland through the franchise group AIM. Currently, the company has 8 stores in Ireland. In May 2000, the company merged with Booker plc.
