Greggs is the largest bakery chain in the UK, famed for its sausage rolls.
Founded by John Gregg in 1939, the first shop opened in Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, in 1951. Since the 1970s, the bakery began to acquire other regional bakery chains across the country, including acquiring its rival Bakers Oven in 1994.
Greggs now has close to 2,000 locations across the UK and employs around 22,000 employees.
Its best-selling product is the sausage roll, selling 2 million units a week. In January 2019, Greggs launched a vegan sausage roll to huge popularity and success, resulting in sales topping £1bn for the first time.
In 2013, Greggs started to transition out of the bakery market, instead targeting the ‘food on the go’ market that was accounting for 80% of its business. Having stores open earlier and close later meant it could target those going to and from work, and the company expanded its breakfast menu to suit consumers’ changing food habits.
It stopped selling bread in 2014 but started a loyalty scheme app called Greggs Rewards that same year. The company also sells bakes, melts and pasties through the supermarket chain Iceland.
After Greggs became the fourth major business in the UK to face disruptions due to IT issues in less than a week, what can retailers do differently to avoid such issues in the future?
Greggs, Britain’s largest bakery chain, has been forced to close stores after IT issues crippled its card payments system.
Greggs has posted booming profits and sales as market share reached an “all-time high” and the food-to-go retailer maintained its guidance for the 2024 financial year.
Greggs boss Roisin Currie and Castore co-founder and chief executive Thomas Beahon have both been named on the prime minister’s Business Council.
Greggs reported a surge in sales helped by the growing popularity of the brand and ”greater availability through digital channels and extended trading hours.”
Advertisement
