TWO branches of bakery chain Greggs will be closing in Blackburn later this year.

The company currently has three branches in and around The Mall Blackburn, however Greggs has now confirmed that two of these, the outlets on Market Way and Ainsworth Street, are now scheduled for closure.

The firm has not yet indicated when the branches will close their doors for the final time, but has said that this will be later this year.

A Greggs spokesperson said: “We can confirm that two of our shops in The Mall, Market Way and Ainsworth Street, will be closing later this year.

“Greggs fans will still be able to enjoy their favourites in The Mall from our King William Street shop, which is remaining open.”

The confirmation that the branches are set to close comes despite the company recently claiming that it could be on course to return to pre-pandemic profit levels.

Greggs said in May that sales had increased in the first few weeks since non-essential trading had resumed in April, compared to the same period in 2019.

An increase in delivery sales during lockdown also helped the company to navigate the pandemic crisis, with 800 branches across the country offering deliveries.

However, despite the relatively positive news, Greggs management warned that returning to pre-pandemic profits would be conditional on restrictions continuing to ease.

An update issued to investors last month said: “Sales have recovered well in recent weeks as out-of-home activity levels have increased, albeit in the absence of competition from indoor seated catering operators.

“If restrictions continue to ease in line with current plans then we now expect our overall sales performance for the year to be stronger than we had previously anticipated.”

In the case of the Blackburn branches, persistently high infection rates in the borough have meant that trading has, in many cases, taken some time to approach pre-pandemic levels.

As such a number of outlets like Greggs will still not have seen footfall as high as before the crisis hit, however regular customers have said that the branch still appears to be busy for much of the day.

The company has not identified any branches other than those on Market Way and Ainsworth Street as scheduled for closure.