Greggs lifts 2026 outlook as it plans four factory closures and 740 job cuts

Retail & Consumer Retail Written by: Ephrem Joseph 02:32 Wed 30 Sep 2026 --> Disclaimer No investment advice About this content Editorial Standards & Policies Share article About this content × About Ephrem Joseph Ephrem began his journalistic journey at Proactive in June 2021. With a strong academic background in Information Technology, his expertise particularly lies in the field of Cyber Security, Management Information Systems and Computer Forensics. Before joining Proactive, Ephrem worked as a researcher and lecturer at a number of leading universities, including the University of Portsmouth's Institute of Criminal Justice Studies, the University of Winchester’s Institute of Policing, and Jain... Read more About the publisher Proactive financial news and online broadcast teams provide fast, accessible, informative and actionable business and finance news content to a global investment audience. All our content is produced independently by our experienced and qualified teams of news journalists. Proactive news team spans the world’s key finance and investing hubs with bureaus and studios in London, New York, Toronto, Vancouver, Sydney and Perth. We are experts in medium and small-cap markets, we also keep our community up to date with blue-chip companies, commodities and broader investment stories. This is content that excites and engages motivated private investors. The team delivers news and unique insights across the market including but not confined to: biotech and pharma, mining and natural resources, battery metals, oil and gas, crypto and emerging digital and EV technologies. Use of technology Proactive has always been a forward looking and enthusiastic technology adopter. Our human content creators are equipped with many decades of valuable expertise and experience. The team also has access to and use technologies to assist and enhance workflows. Proactive will on occasion use automation and software tools, including generative AI. Nevertheless, all content published by Proactive is edited and authored by humans, in line with best practice in regard to content production and search engine optimisation. Greggs PLC ( LSE:GRG ) View Price & Profile Greggs lifts 2026 outlook as it plans four factory closures and 740 job cuts Published: 02:32 30 Sep 2026 EDT Greggs PLC (LSE:GRG) , the UK bakery and food-to-go chain, expects a modestly improved result for 2026 after stronger third-quarter trading, while announcing plans that could close four manufacturing sites and affect about 740 jobs. Total sales rose 7.7% in the 13 weeks to 26 September, while like-for-like sales at company-managed shops increased 3.4%. For the first 39 weeks, total sales were 7.4% higher and like-for-like sales rose 2.6%. Greggs said trading improved as new products performed well and weather conditions became more settled during August and September. The company has opened 95 shops and closed 38 this year, including 20 relocations, leaving 57 net new openings and 2,796 shops trading at 26 September. Greggs still expects between 100 and 110 net new shops during 2026, alongside 12 Greggs Express installations. The company also launched a consultation on consolidating its manufacturing network, which could result in four site closures and 740 redundancies over two and a half years. The restructuring is expected to require about £60 million of cash costs, including roughly £40 million of capital expenditure. Greggs expects the programme to generate annual pre-tax operating cash savings of about £20 million, with benefits emerging across 2028 and 2029. New distribution centres in Derby and Kettering will support future growth, although additional overheads will increase costs in 2027. Like-for-like cost inflation for 2026 is still expected to be about 2%, with greater inflationary pressure possible in 2027. Improved trading and cost control have led Greggs to expect a modestly better full-year outcome. Continue reading