High street bakery giant Greggs is rolling out a brand new, smaller shop format designed to bring its famous savoury bakes and sweet treats to customers in busy, space-constrained locations across the UK.
A 'Small But Mighty' New Concept
The new concept, aptly named 'Bitesize Greggs', features a significantly smaller footprint than a traditional shop. This strategic move allows the Newcastle-based food-on-the-go leader to set up in prime, high-footfall areas where larger units are not feasible, such as major travel hubs.
The very first Bitesize Greggs has officially opened its doors at Sevenoaks Railway Station, creating ten new jobs and operating seven days a week. Despite its compact size, the store offers a curated selection of Greggs' most popular items, including its best-selling savoury bakes, sweet treats, and Fairtrade hot drinks.
Strategic Expansion and Trial Phase
This launch is part of a carefully planned trial run. Greggs will open a small number of these Bitesize shops initially to assess consumer behaviour and operational efficiencies. Tony Rowson, Property Director at Greggs, described the new format as "small but mighty," highlighting its role in the company's broader estate growth strategy.
The agile nature of the Bitesize model is key to its potential. It enables Greggs to enter lucrative locations, predominantly transport hubs, that were previously inaccessible due to the space requirements of their standard shop format.
Following the Sevenoaks opening, the next Bitesize Greggs shops are scheduled to launch in December at Dartford Station in Kent and at Cheshire Oaks in the North West.
Part of a Broader Growth Plan
The introduction of the Bitesize format complements Greggs' ongoing expansion of its traditional, larger shops. The company, which already operates a massive network of over 2,600 shops nationwide, is on track to open around 120 net new shops this year alone. This equates to an impressive average of roughly four new shop openings every single week.
Greggs has long pursued a strategy of diversifying its locations to meet customer demand wherever they are. This has seen its shops appear on high streets, in transport hubs, inside Tesco stores, and on retail parks. In recent years, the firm has also branched out into drive-thru restaurants and its Greggs Outlets, where unsold food is redistributed at a lower price to help reduce food waste.
The rollout of the Bitesize Greggs represents a significant and innovative step in the company's mission to cement its position as the UK's leading food-on-the-go retailer.
