Greggs' sales in 2018 have topped £1 billion for the first time, while the launch of its vegan sausage roll has helped sales surge in 2019. The British bakery chain posted a 15% rise in pre-tax profits to £82.6 million in 2018, with sales rising 7.2% to just over £1 billion. It also said the publicity of the snack helped sales surge 9.6% in the seven weeks to 16 February. Greggs said while the first half of 2018 was impacted by extreme weather, it was able to bounce back and perform ahead of expectations. Greggs’ reaction to becoming a £1bn company was ever-so Greggs - “We’ve hit new records,” chief executive Roger Whiteside, “breaking £1bn in sales for the first time in our 80-year history – slightly longer than it took Kylie Jenner, but we got there eventually.” Formed in Newcastle by John Gregg in 1939, Greggs opened its first shop in Gosforth in 1951 and expanded gradually over the decades, acquiring other chains as it became the country’s largest bakers. It floated on the Stock Exchange in 1994 and continued to grow throughout the 20th century.
