Roger Whiteside
Roger Whiteside’s strategic plan centred on growing the food-on-the-go market has paid off for Greggs, boosting its sales and earning plaudits from retail analysts, following a tough couple of years for the high street baker.
Under Whiteside’s leadership, the firm has invested in new stores, shop refits and new product development over the past 12 months.
Greggs’s pre-tax profits have soared by 40% to £58.3M, the highest in its 66-year history. Reported total sales rose by 5.5% to £804M and own-shop like-for-like sales were up 4.5%.
The Newcastle-based business identified new additions to its breakfast goods and healthier sandwiches as key drivers for the growth. It could also benefit from further growth from its Balanced Choice range – released in the spring – which included upgraded salads, a summer berry fruit pot and own-label drinks range.
As well as opening new stores in Britain, the baker also opened its first store in Northern Ireland, just off the M2, in a partnership with forecourt and motorway service operator Applegreen in April.
A rather more wacky innovation by the firm was the release of a bacon-scented candle that emitted a cooking pork fragrance when lit.