Greggs hungry for 4,500 stores including drive-thrus
Bakery chain Greggs plans to operate up to 4,500 shops in the UK, and has a target of 150 store openings in in 2023, including a trial for a 24-hour drive-thru.
In its preliminary results for 2022, the chain said it had opened a record 186 new stores, bringing its total store estate to 2,328 by the end of the year.
Greggs added that it had continued to expand its presence in retail parks, Central London, and in key transport hubs with openings in Leicester Square, Liverpool Street Station, and Birmingham and Liverpool airports.
The chain said it had also relocated 25 existing shops and refurbished a further 86.
500 Greggs stores are now open until 8pm and beyond, with the bakery saying that further development is in the works in 2023.
The chain currently operates 17 drive-thrus across the UK and plans to open another eight to ten by the end of the year.
Roisin Currie, Greggs chief executive, said: “2022 has been a year of strong progress for Greggs, the result of committed efforts to deliver our strategic growth plan. The significant opportunities on which the plan is based will remain centre stage in the year ahead as we make Greggs more accessible to even more customers.”
Total sales at Greggs in 2022 saw an increase of 23% against the prior year, with its pre-tax profit growing 1.9% to £148.3m.
“I believe we are extremely well-placed to realise the opportunity to become a significantly larger, multi-channel business”, Currie added.