News
Greggs staff to receive share of £17.6 million bonus after record year
Staff will get around £700 each
Staff at Greggs are to receive their share of a £17.6 million bonus pot after the high street bakery chain made record profits last year.
Thousands of staff will receive the bonus in their wages, which will be paid at the end of March, to recognise their ‘hard work and effort’ throughout 2023, CEO Roisin Currie announced.
As shoppers continuously seek out bargains and value for money throughout the cost of living crisis, Greggs saw an increase of 27% in profits to £188.3 million last year.
The bakery chain said 25,000 employees – out of a total of 32,000 across the UK – would receive the £700 bonus in their March pay packets.
Under a profit share agreement, the company shares 10% of profits each year with its employees who have been working at the company for at least six months.
However, Ms Currie said the company was not complacent about tough high street trading conditions, and added that Greggs would not increase its prices this year.
She said: “We have no plans for further price rises. We’re still talking about the cost of living crisis. We know that the consumer disposable income remains under pressure.
“It’ll be another tough year. Last year and the year before were tough for the consumer, and that may continue through this year. What’s helpful is that we are seeing a lower level of inflation in the economy.”
Ms Currie also urged Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, as he unveiled the spring budget on Wednesday (March 6th), to ‘put money in consumer’s pockets’.
Greggs has said it is confident it can deliver ‘another good year of progress’ throughout 2024.
In comparison, store sales growths have slowed to 8.2% for the first nine weeks of the year, although Greggs said said the figures reflected good growth by volume.
It is set to open up a further 160 sites this year with an aim to have over 3,000 bakeries across the UK. Greggs currently has over 2,300 sites nationwide and opened a record 220 sites in 2023.
In a statement, Greggs said: “Inflationary pressures are reducing and we have improved visibility costs in the coming year. There is no change to management’s expectations for 2024.”
Greggs shares were up 5% on Tuesday morning, making it one of the biggest risers on the FTSE 250. The company said it was on track to double its sales from 2021 by 2026.
We’re pleased to announce that Proper Manchester is rebranding as Finest City Guides.
As part of this change, the Proper Manchester brand, including its social media channels, will transition to the Finest City Guides name.
This is a rebrand of the existing platform rather than a new or unrelated business. The same team behind Proper Manchester will continue to operate Finest City Guides as we develop the platform under its new identity.
Previous name: Proper Manchester
New name: Finest City Guides
Our social channels and other brand assets will be updated to reflect the Finest City Guides name as part of this transition.
More from Finest City Guides coming soon.
News
Oasis announce huge reunion tour as Liam and Noel Gallagher ‘make peace’
The news we’ve all been waiting for!
After years of will-they-won’t-they speculation, Oasis are officially BACK together for a reunion tour.
The Gallagher brothers have put aside their differences in the name of music, making thousands of fans extremely happy in the process.
The band teased the news on their socials over the weekend, posting a video on Sunday morning with today’s date (Tuesday, August 27th) and the time 8am.
And now shows have been announced for multiple dates in the UK and Ireland, with tickets going live this Saturday, August 31st.
The legendary Mancunian rockers will take to the stage next summer, with gigs in Cardiff, London, Edinburgh, Dublin and, of course, Manchester.
15 years after splitting, the band confirmed they would be back for 14 shows, saying: “The guns have fallen silent. The stars have aligned. The great wait is over. Come see. It will not be televised”.
The gigs will be Oasis’s ‘only shows in Europe next year’, with tickets on sale this Saturday at 8am in Ireland and 9am in the UK.
The Oasis 2025 tour dates in full:
July
4th – Cardiff, Principality Stadium
5th – Cardiff, Principality Stadium
11th – Manchester, Heaton Park
12th – Manchester, Heaton Park
19th – Manchester, Heaton Park
20th – Manchester, Heaton Park
25th – London, Wembley Stadium
26th – London, Wembley Stadium
August
2nd – London, Wembley Stadium
3rd – London, Wembley Stadium
8th – Edinburgh, Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium
9th – Edinburgh, Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium
16th – Dublin, Croke Park
17th – Dublin, Croke Park
You can grab your tickets HERE.
News
Stagecoach hiring over 100 new bus drivers for Bee Network with £31k salaries
Fancy a career change?
Stagecoach Manchester is hiring over 100 new bus drivers to work from its Oldham depot, following the second phase of the Bee Network launch in March.
You can apply for a range of roles, from positions with no experience required to fully qualified bus drivers.
Successful applicants will receive full training as part of the job, and trainees will get paid to train. Then after only 12 months’ service at Stagecoach, drivers can expect to earn up to £16 per hour, which equates to £31.6K per year, before overtime.
As well as that, drivers that already hold a PCV licence may be eligible to receive a £1,200 joining bonus.
Stagecoach
There’s also a host of other benefits available to all Stagecoach employees, like 28 days paid holiday, generous pension and free Stagecoach bus travel for successful applicants and a companion.
Rob Jones, Managing Director at Stagecoach Manchester said: “Expanding our offering in Oldham means we’ll be investing more in the economy and supporting our local community, as well as strengthening our workforce.
“Whether you’re looking for a career change or you’re a fully qualified, experienced bus driver, there’s a role for everyone here in Oldham.
“We’re looking for personable and dedicated drivers who are ready to help us build on the success of the Bee Network and connect the people of Oldham and Greater Manchester with the places and people that are important to them.”
Stagecoach
Phil Cornwall, bus driver at Stagecoach Manchester, said: “I’ve been a driver at Stagecoach for 25 years and I couldn’t recommend it more.
“From the perks to the people to the passengers, it really is a great place to work.”
To apply, head to the Stagecoach website HERE.
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