Newcastle Long Read · 10 min read
How Greggs took over Britain
From a delivery van in Northumberland mining villages to almost 2,800 shops, Greggs has spent more than 80 years learning how to be where its customers are.
Sector
North East retail and consumer news
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Metrocentre sold to Landsec in £516m deal
The deal is expected to complete by the end of October
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Gateshead Long Read · 8 min read
How Vertu Motors built its second act around what happens after the car sale
Aftersales generated 46 per cent of the Gateshead group’s gross profit in the year to February 2026.
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How Barbour took the country jacket into international fashion
The South Shields brand now sells more abroad than it does at home.
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Greggs is hiring a Head of Data & AI as it expands AI across the business
The Newcastle role will formalise AI work already under way in operations and support.
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Cramlington fashion brand Disturbia's revenue reaches £52.8m, up 50 per cent
The alternative fashion label has taken two rounds of private equity investment since 2023.
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US food-tech platform GrubMarket makes JR Holland its first UK acquisition
The deal brings US ownership and new supply-chain technology to long-established Team Valley wholesaler.
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Fenwick narrows operating losses by 40 per cent in year one of three-year plan
The Newcastle-headquartered group ends the year debt-free with £63.4m cash after testing its turnaround on Northumberland Street.