Pret turns to coffee subscription service to accelerate recovery

Pret A Manger has launched an in-shop coffee subscription service which will see subscribers receive five hot drinks a day for £20 a month.

The YourPret Barista service is understood to be the first of its kind on the UK high street. It is hoped that the scheme will accelerate the grab-and-go chain’s recovery – the business recently cut 2,890 jobs and permanently closed 30 sites when weekly sales dropped to levels last seen in 2010.

The group said its recovery is already under way and, since the end of July, weekly sales have grown on average by around 7%.

Pret chief executive Pano Christou said: “This is just the first step in our plan to bring Pret to more people. We now have the building blocks to establish Pret as a multichannel, digitally-led business, and YourPret Barista is the first big launch we’re able to deliver through our new technology platform.

“Since reopening back in May, our coffee sales have been rising faster than food – evidence that coffee has become an integral part of both our customers’ everyday routines and the Pret experience.”