Iceland publishes supermarket manifesto to give customers a voice ahead of parliamentary elections

FOOD & DRINK NEWS UK

Iceland has released its Frozen Out supermarket “manifesto” to give customers a voice ahead of the general election.

The document contains the results of a survey of more than 6,500 customers and colleagues as the retailer tries to bring “high street realism” to Westminster.

When customers were asked what the biggest problem was in the UK, the cost of living was the main concern. They were also asked about their experiences of accessing public services, including the NHS and state education.

As the survey showed, many respondents feel let down by politics and politicians. More than two-thirds also said that they do not feel represented by any major political party.

Nevertheless, more than 94% of Icelandic consumers said they would vote in the parliamentary elections, even though almost a third do not know who their current MP is.

Iceland will make the document available to all political parties before election day on July 4.

Richard Walker, Executive Chairman of Iceland Foods, said: “The gap between top offices and the UK high street has never been wider and our colleagues and customers have made it clear that they believe their voices are not being heard. We want to change that by using Iceland’s platform as a company to advocate for them and hold politicians to account.”

“The election campaign is the perfect starting point – even if it came a little earlier than expected – but this manifesto is just the beginning for us. These issues are not going away any time soon and we will build on them. And if we are successful, we hope it will help form the basis for rebuilding Britain’s high streets by putting people, not politics, at the heart of the strategy.”