Iceland: Supermarket records 5% Christmas sales boost

Flintshire-based supermarket chain Iceland says it saw sales in the run-up to Christmas rise by 5%.

The latest statement from the Deeside company follows record profits of £184m announced last summer.

The firm was taken over last March in a management buyout by founder and chairman, Malcolm Walker.

One industry consultancy said it believed Iceland has now secured its biggest share of the UK grocery market in 12 years.

Kantar World-panel said only the discount supermarket chains Aldi and Lidl had shown stronger growth in 2012.

A spokesperson for Iceland said sales for the second half of the current financial year have "shown an improved trend" across its 779 UK stores.

"Total sales during November and December 2012 grew by 5%," said the Iceland spokesperson.

"Our ranges of roast-from-frozen seasonal joints and seasonal desserts were particularly successful.

"We are grateful to all our 23,000 colleagues in Iceland's 779 UK stores for their hard work to deliver outstanding customer service and another successful Christmas for the business."