High street baker Greggs says there was high demand for its festive bake - and its vegan version - in the run up to Christmas.
The Newcastle-based company reported a 23% surge in sales last year to £1.51bn and said the festive season had been strong despite the impact of snow and rail strikes. It also said customers were increasingly buying in the early evening and were hungry for its shop-baked sweet mince pies along with festive hot drinks including the salted caramel latte.
That is despite Greggs saying shoppers were "clearly" experiencing cost-of-living pressures and the chain making several price increases to some of its key products during the year, including to the sausage roll which had started 2022 at £1 and now costs £1.20. In an update for shareholders the firm said more of its customers were using its app where they could access loyalty rewards, click and collect services, nutritional information and delivery options.
