All Cinnabon UK locations, including high street stores and shopping centre kiosks, have ceased trading, with its website shut down.
A spokesperson for EG On The Move, the master franchisee for the US sweet bakery brand in the UK, confirmed the decision saying it was not one it had taken lightly, “but it reflects the strategic shift to focus on our core convenience retail business”.
“This decision aligns with our wider business strategy to focus on areas where we can deliver the greatest value to our customers,” added the spokesperson.
Cinnabon specialises in indulgent treats with signature items such as cinnamon rolls, topped ‘bons’, bite-sized doughnuts, and filled cookies. It previously joined forces with Lotus Bakeries on a trio of NPD featuring Biscoff sauce and biscuits as well as Mondelēz International on a Chocobon made with Oreo cookies.
The brand was first unveiled for the UK market in November 2020 through a franchise partnership with petrol forecourt giant EG Group, with a targeted estate of 150 locations within five years. Later the same year, an inaugural store capable of producing dough from scratch onsite was opened at Frontier Park in Blackburn, a couple of miles from EG Group’s head office.
In 2023, Cinnabon UK opened a flagship store in Newcastle city centre but had more than half of its retail estate closed as its franchisee focussed on high footfall locations.
New openings including kiosks at the Bullring retail mall in Birmingham and The Centre Livingston in West Lothian followed in 2024 as the franchise was transferred to EG On The Move – a new forecourt and C-store operator created after EG Group sold parts of its business to Asda.
A total of 12 branches were impacted by closure of the Cinnabon UK franchise, the majority of which were located in shopping malls, noted EG On The Move.
“We extend our sincere thanks to our team members for their dedication, to the Cinnabon brand team for their ongoing partnership, and to our customers for their loyalty and support,” commented the spokesperson. “EG On The Move remains committed to providing exceptional food and retail experiences across our 150-site network, and we will continue to invest in evolving our offerings to meet changing customer needs.”
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