| | Krispy Kreme showed no signs of slimming down its expansion plans today after sales growth accelerated last year.
The company, which sold more than 50 million doughnuts and one million cups of coffee in the UK last year, reported a 3.5% increase in like-for-like sales in 2011, compared to a 1.4% rise the previous year.
Krispy Kreme, which operates 46 stores and more than 400 branded outlets, including a presence in more than 200 Tesco stores, opened new outlets in Bath, Cardiff, Liverpool, Leeds, Sheffield, Preston and Stratford in the period.
The retailer, which pledged to double its UK presence between 2010 and 2015 to more than 100 stores, saw revenues rise 26% to £42.2 million as new stores and deals with service station operators Welcome Break and Roadchef helped its performance.
Joint managing director Richard Cheshire said the company would be opening in new cities, improving existing stores and launching new flavours.
He said: "The next 12 months will see us bringing Krispy Kreme to even more people across the UK."
Krispy Kreme makes doughnuts overnight in so-called "factory stores", which are based in out-of-town centres and distribute to smaller shops situated in high footfall areas, such as shopping centres and transport hubs.
Krispy Kreme was founded in 1937 in North Carolina, in the US, where the parent company is still based. It licences the brand on a franchise basis in international markets. |