A new The Food Warehouse by Iceland Foods officially opened in Southend-on-Sea on Tuesday, 24 March 2026, creating 21 new jobs for the local community. Located at the Airport Retail Park on Rochford Road, the store took over a unit previously occupied by Carpetright.
The opening drew a crowd of 87 eager shoppers who began queuing as early as 5am to be among the first inside. To mark the occasion, the store held a series of giveaways, including vouchers for the first 150 customers and a 90-second trolley dash for five lucky winners.
Barry Marling, the store manager, noted the strong turnout and local enthusiasm for the arrival of the new shop. The company describes its The Food Warehouse format as a bulk-buy supermarket offering larger portions and exclusive brand partnerships, such as Greggs, Slimming World, and TGI Fridays.
Kristian Barrett, Chief Operating Officer at Iceland Foods, stated that the Southend-on-Sea branch is part of a broader expansion strategy for the retailer. The new supermarket is open from 8am to 9pm Monday through Saturday, and from 10am to 4pm on Sundays.
About this article: This story was put together with the help of AI tools and checked by a real person on our team. We're a small crew trying to cover as much of the UK as we can on a limited budget. We're getting better every day - but we're not perfect yet. If something looks off, let us know. You're part of the process.
