FROZEN food retailer Iceland, which employs more than 100 at its four East Lancashire stores, has seen sales increase by eight per cent in the last six months.

The retailer, which bought cash and carry group Booker in May for £373.5m, saw pre-tax profits at the group increased to £32.1m, against £29.2m in the comparable period before, and turnover was up to £997.9m, from £925.6 the time before.

Since the end of the period, Iceland said food sales for the nine weeks to September 2 were growing by 4.5 per cent with sales at Booker rising by two per cent.

The company said it planned to refurbish 85 stores this year with about half taking the group's trial Extra convenience range of foods.

The company also plans to roll out a new fascia for its stores, branding Iceland as Iceland.co.uk, with 250 stores carrying the fascia by the end of 2000 and the entire chain rebranded by June 2001.