Pret A Manger: Transforming to Survive the Pandemic

Pret A Manger: Transforming to Survive the Pandemic

The coffee chain Pret A Manger, with hundreds of locations across the United Kingdom, primarily targeted office workers in city centers with its business model.

But when the pandemic hit, everything came to a halt.

Remote working emptied the streets — especially in cities like London.
Foot traffic disappeared. Stores closed.
And the company faced a sharp decline in revenue.

In 2020, Pret reported a £343 million loss.
More than 3,000 employees were laid off.
At that point, Pret had two options: transform or fade away.

So, what did they do?

Pret launched a transformation programme and introduced multiple innovations to win customers back:

-Coffee Subscription (Club Pret): Offered 5 free drinks per day for £20 a month (in 2021) — boosting customer retention and cash flow.

-Delivery & Digital Expansion: Introduced home delivery via Pret App, UberEats and Deliveroo. “Grab & go” evolved into “Click & deliver”.

-Retail Expansion: Collaborated with Tesco to stock Pret products on supermarket shelves. Expanded product lines into retail and grocery categories.

-Regional & International Growth: Shifted focus beyond major cities into suburban and global markets. Entered new regions with tailored offerings.

This transformation process helped Pret A Manger increase its sales by 20% year-on-year in 2023, reaching £1.1 billion in revenue and returning to profitability. And with this transformation, the company’s revenue exceeded £1 billion for the first time in its history.

The pandemic was a massive challenge for Pret A Manger —
but its ability to adapt, act decisively, and reimagine its model turned crisis into opportunity.

Crisis ≠ Chaos. It’s a moment of decision.
With strategic courage, rapid experimentation and a clear direction, a brand can rise again.