Pret A Manger launches coffee subscription service

Pret A Manger is launching a new subscription service akin to those used by Netflix and Spotify that will allow customers up to five coffees a day for £20 per month.

Pret A Manger on South Bridge in Edinburgh. Picture: Lisa Ferguson

Called YourPret Barista, the move is part of the brand’s “digital transformation” as it looks to retain and find customers in an economy hurt by Covid-19.

Pret has been one of the worst hit retailers during the coronavirus pandemic. Its coffee shops are nearly all in town centres and commuter hubs where footfall from office workers and tourism has dropped significantly.

Last month the company announced it would be cutting almost 3,000 jobs, and in July revealed it would be closing around 30 of its stores.

The company is desperately trying to find new ways to incentivise people to visit and spend – and to find a new, regular revenue stream.

The subscription service, which will launch on Tuesday, has been described by Pret as “a huge moment for coffee ­lovers”.

It covers all Pret drinks, including coffees, teas, hot chocolates and smoothies.

Users will be asked to scan their personalised QR codes before ordering. To prevent misuse by anyone planning to get in a round of coffees for their friends and colleagues, each drink must be collected 30 minutes apart.

The new offer could add up to 150 drinks a month for subscribers.

Briony Raven, the UK food and coffee director at Pret, said such an offer had not been done in the UK before.

She said: “Subscription services like Netflix and Spotify have played a big part in keeping us positive throughout lockdown and after seeing on social media how excited customers were to be reunited with their favourite Pret drinks, we’ve been inspired to launch our own – in a very Pret way.”

A Pret spokesman said the move would be a “flagship offering within the company’s strategic transformation programme”.

The company wants customers to be able to access its food and drink more readily and efficiently and is hoping to “develop insight and data-led products”.

Chief executive Pano Christou said: “As people across the UK begin to get back to the things they’ve missed, our new subscription service is perfect for customers who have been craving one of our barista-prepared drinks.

“Whether you’re a coffee enthusiast or tea devotee, we hope this new service helps you start your day strong.

“This is just the first step in our plan to bring Pret to more people.”

In May, the company, which was bought by JAB Holdings in 2018, expanded into its own branded supermarket coffee products for the first time, launching a range of coffee beans and ground coffee on Amazon.

Like other retailers, Pret was forced to close for several months during lockdown, but while restrictions have eased the company’s trading has remained subdued.

Its 367 UK stores are now open for significantly fewer hours than they were before the pandemic and the firm has asked staff to reduce their hours.

The chain said its weekly sales were around £5.2 million last month – about the level they were in August 2010, when the business was considerably smaller.