Doing it Right

Welcome to our sustainability website, where you can discover just how Iceland is inspired by our commitment to Doing it Right.

We seek to build a growing, profitable and responsible business that does the right thing for our colleagues and customers, the communities we serve, the planet and future generations.

Our Doing it Right plan, set out here, supports the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, and is driven by the people who work in our business and live in our communities.  We’re excited about being at the forefront of change within the retail sector and look forward to a more sustainable future.

Please stay with us for the journey and we’ll keep you up to date with more detailed information on our progress.

Richard Walker, Managing Director

 

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What it’s all about

For nearly 50 years, Iceland has been driven by a commitment to Doing it Right:

  • Caring for our planet by leading initiatives to enhance the global environment
  • Supporting the communities we serve both by paying our taxes and through our Charitable Foundation
  • Selling quality food that is also great value
  • Working with our suppliers to build mutually beneficial long term partnerships
  • Valuing our people as a true family business, recognised as one of the Best Big Companies to Work For in the UK.

These principles are embedded throughout our business and drive every decision of our board.

People Powering Change

Iceland is a true family business: still led by its founder, and with over 25,000 colleagues who share our family ethos and commitment to Doing it Right.

We are also a true community champion: more than 70% of our store colleagues live within three miles of work, and keep us in touch with what really matters to their local communities. Their ideas help us give our customers what they want; their energy and enthusiasm have raised millions for good causes; and their willingness always to go the extra mile has earned us an outstanding reputation for customer service.

Where it all started

Iceland was founded by Malcolm Walker in November 1970 with a single small shop in Oswestry, Shropshire, selling loose frozen food.

On a visit to the USA in the 1970s, Malcolm was impressed by Marriott Hotels’ reputation for great customer service and the slogan emblazoned on their matchbooks: We do it right. Doing it Right became Iceland’s watchword as it took a UK lead in removing artificial colours, flavours and preservatives from its own label food in the 1980s, and a global lead in banning GM ingredients and taking action against environmentally damaging refrigerants in the 1990s.

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What it means today

Doing it Right in 2019 means taking on the world’s biggest environmental and social challenges with the commitment that comes from family leadership in the person of MD Richard Walker, son of our founder Sir Malcolm.

Our private ownership allows us to take a long term view and gives us the agility to lead disruptive action where it is needed, and to collaborate with sometimes unlikely partners. Everything we do is based on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, with the priorities of combating climate change, protecting the environment and providing opportunities for decent work.

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What we’re doing…