Sandwich chain Pret rings up record sales

Pret's sales were lifted by demand for healthier options. Picture: Contributed

Pret A Manger has unveiled record annual sales, boosted by strong growth in the US and rising demand for vegetarian options.

The sandwich chain, which has 12 shops in Scotland employing more than 180 people, saw sales jump 13.9 per cent to £676.2 million in 2015, with like-for-like takings in the US soaring 13.8 per cent.

Sales at the company, which launched in London 30 years ago and is now controlled by private equity firm Bridgepoint, were boosted by increased demand for breakfast products and meat-free options, with vegetarian sales showing double-digit growth. Underlying earnings grew 14.5 per cent to £84.3m.

Chief executive Clive Schlee said: “These results represent another year of record sales for Pret.

“The highlights were a strong performance in the US – our newly opened Penn Station shop [in New York] has the highest sales per square foot of any Pret in the world – and the opening of two very busy transport hub shops in Paris’ Gare de Lyon station and Nice Airport. Pret continues to grow steadily in the UK, adapting its menu to meet demand for healthy options.”

Pret, which sells 1.5 million cups of coffee a week, opened 36 stores around the world last year, taking its total to 401. It also created 763 jobs, of which 500 were in the UK, boosting its headcount to 9,860.