Greggs has reported a rise in first-half profit after adding new menu items aimed at changing consumer tastes, including protein-focused salads and iced matcha lattes.
According to BBC News, the bakery chain said total sales exceeded £1.1 billion in the 26 weeks to the end of June, up 7.2% on the same period a year earlier. Pre-tax profit rose to £76.0 million, compared with £63.5 million for the first six months of 2025.
Chief executive Roisin Currie said the company was widening and updating its menu to reflect changing habits and trends. Greggs relaunched its salad range in May with more protein options and greater choice, while its iced matcha lattes are intended to attract new and younger customers. The business has also made nutritional information on labels clearer for health-conscious shoppers.
Currie has previously told BBC News that weight-loss drugs have encouraged some customers to seek smaller portions, a shift that could affect sales. She said Greggs was monitoring customer behaviour as it opens new stores to ensure expansion increases visits without taking sales from existing branches.
The company opened 34 shops in the first half of 2026, taking its estate to 2,773 after 31 closures. More than half of the new sites were in areas without a Greggs within a mile, and a similar share opened away from high streets, including at petrol forecourts, supermarkets, retail parks, hospitals and university campuses.
Currie said no further price rises were planned after increases to breakfast, lunch and “big” deals in May, which followed several rises last year. She said the company would work to maintain value for customers through the rest of the year.
Susannah Streeter, chief investment strategist at Wealth Club, said the results suggested continued demand for affordable treats while Greggs was adapting to food trends. Julie Palmer, managing partner at BTG Consulting, said the chain had shown resilience in the face of weaker confidence, pressure on spending, weight-loss drugs and higher costs.
Greggs said its full-year expectations were unchanged, with underlying pre-tax profit for 2026 expected to be similar to 2025’s £172 million. It has already warned that higher investment costs linked to new stores are expected to reduce second-half profit year on year.
The group is targeting around 100 to 110 net new shops in 2026 and is trialling a smaller “bitesize” format and a self-service “Greggs Express” concept. It said store numbers could eventually reach 3,500.
Greggs also said home delivery now accounts for 6.9% of sales, describing it as a growth opportunity. Customers ordering delivery spend around three times as much as those buying in store, the company said.
