A British supermarket giant is opening its first store in the Falkland Islands.
Iceland, headquartered in Deeside, will open its new Stanley branch in December—becoming the first UK high street retailer to operate on the islands.
The announcement comes amid renewed sovereignty claims over the Falklands by Argentine president Javier Milei.
Lord Richard Walker said: "This isn’t something that can just be done knee-jerk.
"We’ve been searching and looking for and working with local partners, identifying the site, and then of course getting the stock over there.
"And it’s so far away the container is already on the water and has been for several weeks.
"So this was in process anyway, and we’ll be opening in December.
"Of course, it’s very topical and that prompted us to make the announcement maybe a little bit earlier than we would have done, but I felt it actually was an honour and important to show solidarity and support for the Falklanders at this time.
"So yeah, we’re very excited – the first British high street retailer to be opening on the island."
The new store will stock Iceland’s own-label frozen products, alongside other brands such as Cathedral City, MyProtein, and TGI Fridays.
The project is a collaboration between Iceland, Falklands-based Fortuna, and Kelper Stores.
James Wallace, managing director of Fortuna, said: "Fortuna as a local, family-owned business is committed to investing in the community.
"We are delighted to be working with Iceland in delivering a partnership that will directly benefit the people of the Falkland Islands."
Sarah Clarke, general manager of Kelper Stores, said: "This is a major milestone for the Falklands, and we’re excited to be working with Iceland to bring the first ever franchise store to Stanley.
"Our customers will enjoy a wide product range and better value for money as a result."
Lord Walker said he would personally visit the Falklands to officially open the store.
He said: "The Falklands are a special part of the British family and it’s always been an ambition of mine to support it, so being able to bring Iceland to Stanley is a huge moment for us."
