Greggs' sales top £2bn after pizza, wedges and chicken goujons push
"After years of financial anxiety, [customers] are still facing concerns about energy prices and increased mortgage and rent costs," the company said.The firm also repeated its criticism of the government's decision to increase employer National Insurance contributions and other employment costs, adding it may pass on these costs through higher prices.Pre-tax profit hit £204m in 2024, up 8.3% on the year before.
"Our hot food menu is proving increasingly popular, with pizza deals driving strong growth," said chief executive Roisin Currie.Meanwhile, the company opened 145 new shops last year, thanks to its continued growth away from the High Street.A decade ago, four-fifths of Greggs shops were on the High Street.Today, the company says almost half of its shops are now in alternative locations such as petrol forecourts, roadsides, transport hubs, retail parks, supermarkets, universities and hospitals.Later opening hours also helped to drive business, with the company saying that 9% of company-managed shop sales in 2024 were during the evening, up from 8.5% in 2023.Meanwhile, sales from delivery websites grew to account for 6.7% of company-managed shop sales in 2024, with one in five customers now using the Greggs App to collect points.Despite the difficulties for the year ahead, Mamta Valechha, analyst at Quilter Cheviot, said the firm "remains in a strong position, helped by its plans to open more shops, expand its menu, increase evening trading hours, and grow its digital sales". "These initiatives should support further growth, even as the retail sector faces ongoing challenges," she said.
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South Wales Argus
15 hours ago
- South Wales Argus
Calls to revamp Newport city centre as shops boarded up
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"It is imperative that the Labour Welsh Government and Labour-controlled city council put their heads together and come up with a meaningful strategy to fully regenerate Newport and unleash our city's potential." One of the prime examples is the Wildings centre, which has remained shut since 2018. Wildings has been boarded up in Newport city centre for years (Image: NQ) The Centre for Cities report recognises a significant drop in the number of empty units since the last report in 2022 but highlights an issue that distorts the true picture, according to Newport Council. The statistics are significantly impacted by the oversupply of retail properties in the city centre. Newport has the largest amount of retail space per head than any of the other 62 centres featured in the report. This means that while the number of occupied premises is similar to some other places, including high-performing retail centres such as Milton Keynes, this is masked by the oversupply of commercial units. Newport Council leader Dimitri Batrouni says the council are determined to transform the city centre (Image: NQ) Newport Council leader, Councillor Dimitri Batrouni, said: "We absolutely agree that the number of retail units in the city centre needs to be reduced as the centre is too big for present-day demand. "The challenge is that city centre properties are mainly privately owned, sometimes by absent and neglectful landlords, and it will require significant investment to achieve a reduction. "However, we are determined to transform our city centre to be fit for the 21st century." The report also highlights the increasing footfall figures. In the first quarter of this year, it was 10 per cent higher than in the first quarter of 2019, before the pandemic and the sharp rise in online shopping. John Griffiths MS has said Newport needs more tools to improve the city centre experience (Image: NQ) John Griffiths, Member of the Senedd for Newport East, said: "High streets across Wales and the rest of the UK are all going through challenging periods and Newport is no different. "But I am pleased Welsh Government is backing our town and city centres – through schemes such as the Transforming Towns fund. "There is always more to do – and I would like to see some changes around compulsory purchase orders, so councils such as Newport have more tools to improve the overall city centre experience." The Welsh Government announced a consultation on plans to change business rates in Wales in May, giving smaller shops a lower rate, with the consultation running until August. A Welsh Government spokesperson said: "We co-funded the recently approved Newport City Centre Placemaking Plan through our Transforming Towns Programme. 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'As the Member of the Senedd for Newport West, I welcome investment in the city centre, including the refurbishment of Newport Market, the redevelopment of Market Arcade, and the new Leisure & Wellbeing Centre that's under way.' 'It takes time, bold decisions, and sustained investment to deliver lasting regeneration. We are firmly on that path, the impact on Newport is already visible in rising footfall, thriving independents, and a continued sense of pride in our city.' The Centre for Cities calls for £5 billion in public investment to remodel struggling city centres. The report recommends that the government treats city centres as critical parts of the national economy and allocate £5 billion of its recently announced £113 billion investment to remake city centres with more office space, improved public realm, and fewer shops. It also suggests that cities increase the size of the catchment of their city centres through building more homes in inner-city locations, as opposed to more developments on the edge of town. The report also advises that cities should be realistic about visitor strategies and should prioritise making city centres attractive to residents first, as visitor appeal will follow.
Scottish Sun
21 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Greggs could BRING BACK iconic bake it scrapped six years ago leaving fans gutted
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) BAKERY chain Greggs could bring back its fan favourite steak and cheese roll after a dairy firm pulled a cheeky Stilton stunt. Big cheeses from Clawson Farms arrived at the company's HQ in a lorry flanked by motorcycle outriders and security guards to deliver an 8kg wheel of their pongy produce. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Greggs could bring back its fan favourite steak and cheese roll after a dairy firm pulled a cheeky Stilton stunt Credit: Jason Bye It came in response to fan demands for Greggs to reinstate the bake, which it scrapped in 2019. Clawson, owned by 30 farmers near Melton Mowbray, Leics, told Greggs: 'We've got the cheese, are you bringing the roll?' When Greggs dropped its steak and cheese offering, fans went into a full-on pastry panic — with one even writing a song about it. Master cheesemaker Richard Mayfield said: 'Greggs is a big brand, so we needed to make a big statement to get their attention.' Greggs boss Roisin Currie invited the cheeky cheesemakers into the Newcastle offices for a Greggs sausage roll. She did not give anything away about the return of the fan favourite, but her reaction is seen as the first sniff of a possible return. Big cheese Keith said: 'I live near one of the busiest Greggs shops in the country – and I'm in there most mornings. When the Steak & Cheese Roll disappeared, I was gutted. So we thought, why not offer them the best cheese in Britain and help bring it back?' 'Greggs is literally in my blood — three generations of my family have worked there, so campaigning to back the cheese roll, with our stilton in it, was a no-brainer! I spend my days going up and down the country spreading the love of Stilton, but this delivery? Well, it was rolling in style. "Meeting Roisin and the team was fantastic — she welcomed us in with open arms and took the whole thing in great humour. We're just here hoping Greggs might want us back for good!' Greggs was approached to comment on a possible comeback.
Scottish Sun
a day ago
- Scottish Sun
Greggs launches summer menu shake-up with spicy sandwich range and all-new breakfast meal deal
Bold new summer items with surprising twists and bigger breakfast options ROLL ON Greggs launches summer menu shake-up with spicy sandwich range and all-new breakfast meal deal Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) GREGGS has spiced up its menu just in time for summer, launching a fiery new chipotle chicken sandwich range alongside a revamped breakfast deal. The fresh line-up is now available in shops nationwide. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 It's part of the Cold Sandwich & Drink Deal from £3.95, or available hot with wedges and a drink from £5.00 Credit: Greggs 4 The fresh line-up is now available in shops nationwide Credit: Greggs 4 For breakfast lovers, Greggs has added a twist to its morning offering Credit: Greggs From today, customers across the UK can tuck into the new Chipotle Chicken Baguette and Flatbread, along with a Sweet & Spicy Chicken Oval Bite. The high street favourite has also unveiled a three-part Breakfast Deal for the first time, giving early risers more bang for their buck. The new Chipotle Chicken Baguette brings the heat with spicy chicken breast, Cheddar cheese with chilli, sliced red onion, jalapeños, and lashings of chipotle chilli sauce and spicy mayo. It's part of the Cold Sandwich & Drink Deal from £3.95, or available hot with wedges and a drink from £5.00. Those after something lighter can opt for the Chipotle Chicken Flatbread, filled with spicy chicken, mixed peppers, fresh salad, chipotle sauce and spicy mayo – a flavour-packed option for lunch on the go. Joining the range is the Sweet & Spicy Chicken Oval Bite, combining spicy chicken breast with pineapple chilli sauce, Cheddar chilli cheese, crispy onions, and mixed leaves in a seeded roll. Like the others, it's available as part of the Cold Sandwich Deal. For breakfast lovers, Greggs has added a twist to its morning offering. The new Breakfast Deal lets customers pair their breakfast roll or baguette with a hot drink and a choice of side – hash browns, a fruit pot or creamy yoghurt – starting from £3.95 for the roll combo and £5.10 for a baguette. All items are available for Click+Collect through the Greggs App, which also gives users rewards such as a free drink after nine purchases and a birthday treat. Haven & Butlins Refund Warning, Lidl's £55 Dyson Fan Dupe, and Greggs Snack Axed – Money News Today Last week Greggs issued a first‑half trading statement revealing a slowdown in June footfall due to an early summer heatwave. Despite a like‑for‑like sales rise of 2.6 per cent and total sales of £1.03 billion for the 26 weeks to 28 June, soaring UK temperatures resulted in fewer store visits and a 13–15 per cent fall in the company's share price across major markets. On the branding front, Greggs was recently crowned the UK's strongest brand of 2025, with its value rising to over £958 million and a top-tier Brand Strength Index rating. The chain also opened its first 'Eco Drive-Thru' earlier this year, with sustainable design features aimed at reducing energy and water usage.
