Greggs has opened its very first outlet store in Newham, East London, selling day-old, unsold products at reduced prices.
The opening is part of an initiative designed to support socially deprived areas whilst also tackling food waste. In 2021, outlet stores redistributed 880 tonnes of unsold food, including a whopping 1.1 million sweet products, 1.1 million sandwiches and one million savoury products.
The Greggs Outlet initiative started in 1972, and the Newham outlet is the 30th site to date. Most of the current outlet stores are concentrated in the North and the Midlands, but the Cundy Road store represents a first for East London, with the bakery chain targeting 50 outlet stores open by 2025.
Greggs has also teamed up with Too Good to Go - a food saving app, which provides a platform for shops and restaurants to redistribute unsold food at a discounted price.
On top of that, a share of the profits from Greggs outlets is funnelled into The Greggs Foundation, which helps deprived communities tackle food poverty. Greggs says that outlet stores raised £370,000 for charity in 2021.
Roisin Currie, CEO at Greggs said: ‘As a leading food on-the-go retailer in the UK, it’s important that we do our bit to put an end to food waste and help to tackle poverty, hunger, and deprivation across all the communities we operate in.
‘We have three channels for giving good food a second chance – we donate it to charities who can make use of it; we offer it to our customers at a discount via the Too Good To Go app, and we sell it at a discount through our outlet shops.
‘The expansion of our outlet shop estate is a core part of the Greggs Pledge and a testament to the commitment we make every day in supporting our customers’ health, our communities, and our planet, that we are on track to deliver against our 2025 targets.’
If you're a true Greggs disciple, you'll be glad to hear that the Greggs Festive Bake is back in stores for 2022! Find out more about Greggs Christmas menu here.