Festive Bakes help push Greggs sales up 5 per cent
Increasingly popular breakfasts and festive favourites helped sales at high street bakery Greggs increase by 5.2 per cent last year.
Customer demand for breakfast-on-the-go has made it the fastest growing part of the day with sales of coffee continuing to grow strongly.
Seasonal favourites such as mince pies and Festive Bake also made a strong contribution to sales over the Christmas and New Year period.
In company-managed shops like-for-like sales rose by 4.7 per cent, but slowed to a 2.3 per cent rise in the last quarter of 2015.
The bakery now has 1,700 shops across the UK, including four within less than a mile of each other in Wolverhampton city centre.
Greggs completed 202 refits in 2015 as well as 20 conversions of larger bakery cafes. There were 122 new shops opened in the year against 74 closures.
It said that full year results were anticipated to be in line with previous expectations.
Chief executive Roger Whiteside said: "2015 saw us deliver another excellent year of progress as we continue to transform Greggs into a modern, well-invested food-on-the-go retailer."
Mr Whiteside said that in the year ahead Greggs would continue with the implementation of its strategic plan to enable the business to compete more effectively in the food-on-the-go market.
Sales growth was particularly strong in sandwiches and drinks, including the healthier options Balanced Choice range including new salads and 'no added sugar' drinks.
Its new hot food menu, with an improved hot sandwich range and fresh soups, is also selling well.
Greggs plans to add 'flat white' and an improved 'mocha' to its coffee menu early this year.
