Greggs H1 Sales Jump 7.2% on Iced Drinks and Salads

Greggs, the UK bakery chain, reported a significant rise in sales and profits for the first half of 2026, crediting its success to a strategic menu expansion featuring iced drinks and salads that resonated during summer heatwaves. The company announced on Wednesday, July 29, that total sales for the 26 weeks to June 27 reached 1.1 billion pounds, a 7.2 percent increase from the same period last year. Pretax profit jumped by a fifth to 76 million pounds.

The robust performance was bolstered by the net opening of 34 new shops in the half-year period. Excluding the impact of new locations, like-for-like sales at company-managed shops rose by 2.1 percent, while franchised outlets saw a 1.3 percent uplift. Chief Executive Roisin Currie highlighted the importance of innovation, stating the company's focus on "keeping it exciting for customers" through new products helped attract a growing number of health-conscious and younger consumers.

Key to navigating the recent hot weather was an expanded range of cold options, including iced matcha lattes and a reformulated salad selection with higher protein content and clearer nutritional labelling. Currie noted that while demand for hot food...