British frozen food retail specialist Iceland Foods Ltd. has tied into “Frozen,” the big-screen adventure it calls the “coolest film” to be released this Christmas season. The new Walt Disney Animation Studios motion picture, set to open at theaters in the United Kingdom on December 6, is loosely based on “The Snow Queen,” a Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale.
Deeside, Flintshire, UK-based Iceland has teamed up with Disney to offer a free child’s cinema ticket with one full paying adult ticket purchase. All shoppers have to do to claim the freebie is spend £15 or more at any Iceland store. It’s part of a major marketing campaign that incorporates in-store branding as well as TV and print advertising promoting the film’s key characters: Princess Anna, Kristoff the ice trader, Snow Queen Elsa and Olaf the Snowman.
Based on the movie’s successful debut in the United States, it should be a big hit with kids and families in Britain as well. Playing at 3,742 locations during its three-day weekend opening in the USA, “Frozen” ticket sales generated $66.7 million in cold cash. Five days after release, receipts amounted to approximately $93 million, setting a box office record for a Thanksgiving holiday opening.
Meanwhile, in other Iceland Foods news, the chain has acquired the seven Iceland stores in the Republic of Ireland previously operated by its franchisee, AIM Group, for an undisclosed price. All employees in the stores – located in Ballyfermot, Finglas, Navan Road, Ilac Centre, Coolock, Clonmel and Carlow – have been offered the opportunity to transfer to Iceland.
“We see great opportunities for growth in Ireland, and taking direct control of these stores will help us to ensure that we offer the best value and the highest standards of service to our valued Irish customers,” said Iceland Chairman and Chief Executive Malcolm Walker. “It will also help us to accelerate the expansion of the business, creating new jobs, more opportunities for Irish suppliers and making our unique branded products available to more people throughout the country.”
“Iceland has operated its own stores in the Republic in the past, but we withdrew because we urgently needed to simplify the severely troubled business to which I and my colleagues returned in 2005,” continued Walker. “We are grateful to Naeem Maniar and his team at AIM Group for their good work in maintaining our brand in the Republic, since they took on the franchise in 2009. Now is the right time for us to return, as part of our international growth strategy that aims to make Iceland the world’s number one frozen food brand.”
