Yahoo Finance Vegan sausage rolls turbo-boost Greggs sales
Sales at one of Britain’s biggest bakeries, Greggs (GRG.L), are being massively boosted by the popularity of its vegan sausage roll.
The baker, which is famed for its pivot to providing healthier options for those who want food on-the-go, said in its trading update that in the first 19 weeks of 2019, total sales jumped 15.1%, compared to the same period last year of 11.1%.
Greggs said that ever since it announced its preliminary results on 7 March “this built on a strong finish to 2018 and was further boosted by the publicity surrounding the launch of our vegan-friendly sausage roll.”
“Sales since then have continued to grow very strongly, helped by the roll-out of vegan-friendly sausage rolls to all shops following limited availability in the early part of the year when demand outstripped supply,” it added.
In 2018, Britons spent over £1.3bn ($1.68bn) on vegan and vegetarian products, according to research by supermarket shopping app Ubamarket. Figures also showed that almost 19 million meat-eaters now buy vegan and vegetarian products and almost 12 million are stocking up on gluten-free meals despite having no intolerance.
Research from supermarket Waitrose said 33% of people have meat-free or meat-reduced diets and there are 3.5 million vegans in the UK.
Greggs said that there a number of other product categories that have “shown good growth.” This includes its breakfast options, including Fairtrade coffee and other hot drinks. It added that sales are also continuing to grow strongly in its post-4pm pizza deal —offering a pizza slice and a drink for just £2.
