Frozen foods retailer Iceland has announced plans to open three new stores in Oslo, following the successful rollout of two previous outlets last year.
The new stores, which will open in March and April of this year, will be located at St. Hanshaugen and Stovner Senter in Oslo, as well as at Bekkestua in Bærum.
Iceland operates more than 900 stores in the UK. Its previous Norway openings are located in Asker and Larvik.
Commenting on the new openings, the chief executive of Ice Nordic AS, the Norwegian division of Iceland Foods, Geir Olav Opheim, said that he is "proud of what we have achieved" in Norway to date.
"We have shown that there is a need for a new grocery player in Norway. Customers want greater choice, and with our concept we offer a real alternative to the three other main players, who together own all the other grocery stores in Norway.
"When we come to Oslo, we will reach a considerably larger market, and far more people will be able to access the many exciting and quality food products that they cannot find elsewhere."
Larger Stores
Norway-based news portal Nettavisen reported that the planed stores will be 'slightly larger' than those previously operated by the group.
Plans are under way to open about five to seven stores in the short term, the paper reported, and grow this significantly over time.
However, grocery expert Odd Gisholt believes that the development of the brand in Norway is too slow, according to the news platform.
"To have a chance, they must get a dozen stores in Oslo," he told Nettavisen. "They haven't got that yet."
© 2019 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Stephen Wynne-Jones. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
