20-05-2025
Greggs shares huge update as it pushes ahead with plans to open 150 new stores
The new openings mean that Greggs now has 2,638 sites, with an aim of having more than 4,500 locations across the country - this is more than fast food giant McDonald's
Greggs has shared a major update on its plans to open up to 150 new stores this year. The high street bakery chain announced that it had opened 20 new UK stores in the first half of its financial year.
The new openings mean that Greggs now has 2,638 sites, with an aim of having more than 4,500 locations across the country. According to its latest results, the new openings helped drive a 7.4% increase in total sales to over £784million in the first 20 weeks of this year.
Over the same period, like-for-like sales rose by over 2.9%, going up from 1.7% in the first nine weeks. Greggs says the rise in sales is due to its expanded menu. Alongside this, the group has also embraced longer opening hours into the evening, increased delivery sales through Just Eat and Uber Eats, and launched the Greggs App.
Over the last few months, Greggs has added mac and cheese, chicken burgers and fish finger sandwiches to its menus. For its summer menu, the bakery chain added a new Korean Crispy Chicken Burger, a Korean BBQ Chicken Wrap and flatbread, Red Pepper, Feta & Spinach Bake, and a new Cheese and Onion Roll - to name just a few.
Greggs is also set to open more of its outlet stores over the coming few months. . Greggs Outlet sells surplus food including sausage rolls and bakes at super cheap prices.
You can typically find discounts of up to 75% off - so for example, a four-pack of sausage rolls costs £1.85 in Greggs Outlet, which is 46p a sausage roll. You would normally pay around £4.35 for a four-pack of sausage rolls in a regular Greggs store.
Greggs currently has 38 outlet stores. The sausage roll chain originally wanted to increase this number to 50 in 2025, but it is now aiming for 45 stores. Greggs has not revealed the locations for its new Greggs Outlet stores.
Join Money Saving Club's specialist topics
Greggs has recently had to make some drastic changes across its store estate to tackle shoplifting in its high street sites. The bakery chain has been forced to put sandwiches and bottled drinks behind counters in some stores to stop shoplifters. These items are normally found at the front of shops in self-service fridges.
According to reports, around five Greggs branches had to do this, due to the level of theft seen in these sites. One of these includes Greggs in Whitechapel, East London. Other stores have had screens installed at the counter or have introduced full-time security guards.
In a statement on the moves, Greggs said: "This is one of a number of initiatives we are trialling across a handful of shops which are exposed to higher levels of anti-social behaviour. Safety of our colleagues and customers remains our number one priority.'
