Greggs to open more city centre outlets

GREGGS is plotting a major expansion across London even as workers refuse to return to their daily commutes.

The sausage-roll maker said it was accelerating openings in city centres “because we’re under-represented there, London being the best example”.

It also warned that further price hikes were on the way as inflation takes its toll on the fast-food market.

Roger Whiteside, chief executive of the company, said trading in office hubs was “still not back to normal numbers and we don’t know whether it will ever get back to normal numbers”.

“But even if they don’t recover any more than now, London at 90pc full is still fuller than anywhere else I know.”

He said lower rents in London after the pandemic were also driving store openings in the capital, coming a month after the company announced plans to set up a new flagship shop in Leicester Square. Mr Whiteside said Greggs was also planning to open stores in “as many [railway] stations as we can get to”.

It comes despite Greggs saying sales in city centre locations lagged the rest of its estate, as office workers continue to work from home for part of the week.

Mr Whiteside said: “There’s going to

‘We’re not back to normal numbers. But London at 90pc full is still fuller than anywhere else I know’

be more home working than prepandemic and there’s going to be more online shopping so that will stop some of the reasons for leaving the home.”

Demand has remained robust even after Greggs raised its prices at the start of the year and then again when VAT relief was removed. Mr Whiteside said further price increases would come “very soon” with some items going up by as much as 10pc.