Bakery chain Greggs, led by Scot Ken McMeikan, is planning to open eight to 10 more new stores in Scotland by the end of the year, which will create up to 100 jobs.
Fresh from its pasty fight with the UK Government over VAT, the warm snack specialist has already opened six new Scottish outlets this year, in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Perth and Falkirk, and employs 2800 in its 231 stores north of the Border.
The Scottish openings are a big chunk of this year's programme of 90 new shops, adding to its chain of 1600 countrywide.
Yesterday, the group also announced plans to open 28 franchise stores in Moto service stations, creating 500 jobs, as part of plans to expand beyond the high street.
However, despite its high-profile success in reversing the imposition of VAT on warmed-up pasties and sausage rolls, helped by a 300,000 name petition from customers, the group's underlying sales were down 3.5% in the second quarter of 2012.
Newcastle-based Greggs said the deterioration from a decline of 1.8% earlier in the year was driven by the weather as shoppers stayed away from the high street. Profits were down 4.6% to £16.5 million in the 26 weeks to June 30.
Greggs played a key part in the campaign to convince chancellor George Osborne to overturn the VAT plans after chief executive Mr McMeikan marched on Downing Street to deliver the petition.
He said: "There's no question that the profile of Greggs is significantly higher than it was before the pasty tax started. But we were not able to see how much that has benefited sales – the Chancellor announced the tax in March but in April it started raining and didn't stop. This really is a very resilient performance, given the exceptional weather."
The Newcastle-based group has opened 33 more shops than it closed this year helping push total sales up 4.5% to £350m.
Greggs has been trialling a new coffee shop format in bus and train stations and has tested "Greggs the Bakery", selling olive breads and herb focaccias, in Newcastle, close to where its first store opened in 1951.
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