Greggs to reopen 20 stores for delivery amid lockdown

Bakery chain Greggs has revealed plans to open 20 of its stores for delivery in the Newcastle area as part of a controlled trial, as the UK Covid-19 lockdown continues.

According to the BBC, stores would operate at reduced hours and offer a limited product range. The trial is set to last up to two weeks.

A Greggs spokesperson said: “We want to play our part in getting the nation back up and running again so we are planning to conduct a limited trial with volunteers to explore how we can reopen our shops with new measures in place that keep our colleagues and customers as safe as we can when we re-open at scale.”

Greggs temporarily closed all 2050 of its stores on 24 March.

Prior to this, the chain converted its store to a fully takeaway service following the government’s announcement to close all pubs, cafes and restaurants. However, shortly after Greggs decided to temporarily close its shops completely to “protect [its] people and customers”.

It said at the time: “During this period, with support from the Government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, we intend to maintain employment of colleagues at full contract hours for as long as is practicable.”