Greggs has taken its first steps into the petrol forecourt market with the opening of a 500sq ft concession at a newly renovated BP petrol station in Bury, operated by Euro Garages.
If successful, the bakery chain is keen to extend the new format to other petrol forecourts around the country, as part of its strategy of opening outlets in travel-retail and workplace locations, as well as the traditional high street. Euro Garages operates 76 forecourts across the north west and Midlands.
"We hope this will work well for us and that we will be in a position to work with Euro Garages and other operators to roll this out to other sites around the country," group business development director Martin Kibler told British Baker. "We believe there is the potential to open at least a further 600 stores in the UK, and alternative locations, such as travel-retail and workplace sites, will play an important part in complemen- ting our more traditional high street shops."
Greggs now has 1,400 stores in the UK and has been growing its presence in non-high street sites over the past few years, with locations at Newcastle and Manchester airports and shops close to Liverpool and Manchester Picca-dilly railway stations, as well as retail parks and industrial estates. "Customer research has shown that people would like to see more Greggs stores where they work and travel. We are taking Greggs to where the customers want us to be," said Kibler.
Operated directly by Greggs, the new shop at the BP garage is located within a Spar store. Its product range includes savouries baked-off in-store, sandwiches made in-store and daily fresh bakery products.
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