Greggs to open more shops in transport hubs as evening sales rise

Greggs is to open more stores in supermarkets, airports, and railway stations after seeing a boost in evening sales.

The bakery chain has over 2,300 stores and opened a net 50 new locations during the first half of the year.

In the six months to 1 July, 8.3% of its company-managed shop sales were made after 4pm, up from 6.5% during the same period last year.

Greggs said it had found success in areas it was "underrepresented", including retail parks and roadside locations.

The chain has expanded into travel hubs and this year opened at Glasgow, Cardiff, and London Gatwick Airport, as well as Shepherd's Bush and Canary Wharf stations on the London Underground.

It also has bakeries trading in Tesco, Asda, and Sainsbury's stores, with plans for further sites.

Greggs is aiming to expand to over 3,000 UK sites and expects to open 150 net new UK shops in 2023.

The group reported pre-tax profit of £63.7m in the first six months of 2023, up from £55.8m last year. Total sales were £844m, up from £694.5m in the same period in 2022.

"Our ambitious plans for growth are on track and our amazing teams are committed to realising the opportunity to become a significantly larger, multi-channel business," said Roisin Currie, chief executive of Greggs.

The bakery chain said it had a "strong pipeline of good opportunities" and expected to open 150 net new shops in 2023.

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