Greggs Now Has More UK Outlets Than Costa: What It Says About Where Coffee Customers Are Heading
Key Points · Greggs has overtaken Costa as the UK's largest branded coffee operator by outlet count: 2,737 versus 2,707, according to Allegra's Project Café UK 2026 report. · The gap is narrow, just 30 shops, but the symbolism is not. A bakery that sells coffee has edged past a coffee chain that sells coffee. · Greggs is winning on value, not coffee craftsmanship. It ranked No.1 for value on YouGov's Brand Index among quick-stop and coffee shop services. · Costa is not collapsing. Revenue rose 5% to £1.3bn and it returned to operating profit in 2025. But it is slowing expansion and betting on refurbishments instead. · The real story is not "Greggs beats Costa." It is that the coffee customer has fragmented: some want a £4 latte ritual, many want a decent coffee attached to a £2 food mission. · The UK branded coffee market is still growing, to 12,313 outlets and £6.8bn in sales, which means this is a fight for share, not a shrinking pie. Quick Summary Greggs now ha...
