Iceland rebrand to build online sales

Iceland is rebranding its 660-strong chain of supermarkets as

Iceland.co.uk in an pounds 8m drive to combine the marketing of its web

service with its bricks-and-mortar operation.

It becomes the first major UK retailer to change its core brand to take

on board the growing e-tail market.

The supermarket is replacing its 16-year-old logo with a new identity,

which will be splashed across stores, vans, packaging and marketing

communications.

Iceland will also capitalise on its ’ethical’ reputation by painting new

corporate messages, relating to issues such as GM foods and charities,

on the sides of its lorries.

In the spirit of Iceland’s advertising, lorries will also feature

’humorous reflections on life and shopping’.

Chief executive Malcolm Walker said the change represented the future of

British retailing, in which consumers will buy commodities online and do

everyday shopping on the high street.

Walker also announced a 19.5% profit increase. Pre-tax profit rose to

pounds 63.5m for the year ended January 1. Iceland also said that it had

ended talks with Storehouse on the possible acquisition of Bhs.

Alan Shepherd, marketing director for Iceland, said: ’We decided that

our stores represented a prime marketing opportunity for promoting our

web site address.’

Iceland was the first UK food retailer to offer a nationwide home

shopping service.

Recently, Iceland ran the first UK television advertising campaign for

supermarket home shopping, through HHCL & Partners.

The revamp, which was handled by an in-house design team with advice

from HHCL, will take place over the next 18 months.

From June, Iceland will also change its trading name from Iceland Frozen

Foods to Iceland Foods.

This article was first published on Marketing