Greggs to close four factories over two and a half years, 740 jobs at risk
Greggs plans to close four factories over two and a half years, putting around 740 jobs at risk, as it overhauls manufacturing to save money while reporting 7.7% sales growth.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Greggs has announced plans to close four factories, putting around 740 jobs at risk. The high street bakery chain said the closures form part of an overhaul of its manufacturing operations. It aims to cut costs and save money, and said the savings would enable it to grow in the most cost-efficient manner.
The closures are expected to take place over the next two and a half years. The job losses are expected to total around 740 across the four sites. The company described the move as a shake-up of its manufacturing operations.
The announcement came despite recent sales growth. Greggs reported 7.7% sales growth in the three months to September compared with the same period a year earlier. The company is a major UK bakery chain with a large high street presence.
On screen
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Key Claims
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Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
Channel 4 gave the Greggs closure a short, straight news summary. It focused on the number of jobs at risk and the cost-cutting rationale, and noted the chain's 7.7% sales growth. It did not give the two-and-a-half-year timescale for the closures.
- “The high street bakery chain, Greggs, says it's closing four factories, putting 740 jobs at risk in order to cut costs.”
- “The firm, which reported a 7.7% growth in sales during the last quarter, said the savings would enable it to grow, quote, in the most cost-efficient manner.”
5 News led with the job losses, using the blunt verb 'axing'. It was the only channel to give the timescale for the closures, saying they would happen over the next two and a half years. It framed the move as a manufacturing shake-up aimed at saving money.
- “The bakery chain Greggs is axing around 740 jobs.”
- “It's closing four factories over the next two and a half years, all part of plans to shake up its manufacturing operations and ultimately save money.”
ITV1 placed the Greggs announcement in a wider economic bulletin, after reporting faster-than-expected GDP growth. It described Greggs as a bakery giant and used 'manufacturing sites' rather than factories. It also carried the 7.7% sales growth figure with a precise three-month timeframe.
- “Some better news for the government and the country now, as the economy has grown faster than experts predicted.”
- “And Greggs has announced plans to close four manufacturing sites with the expected loss of around 740 jobs as part of an overhaul of its manufacturing operations.”
- “But the bakery giant said sales grew 7.7% in the three months to September, compared to the same period a year earlier.”
Broadcast Timeline
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