Pret a Manger is trialling opening concessions in Tesco supermarkets following a huge drop in demand as more people work from home during the pandemic.
Many of the sandwich chain’s branches are located in city centres and rely heavily on trade from office workers. Therefore, the company has struggled during the pandemic as the UK entered lockdowns and more people worked from home.
The trend for remote working is likely to continue after the pandemic, forcing the firm to explore news ways of operating. They say they are transforming their business model to “adjust to a new way of living and working”.
Pret a Manger will begin the trial by opening four branches in Tesco stores, but will spread it to more if the move proves successful. The first shop will open in June in Tesco’s Kensington superstore in London, followed by three others later in the summer.
Earlier this year, the company launched its first grocery food range in Tesco, selling frozen croissants and granola.
Pandemic woes
Before Covid hit, the network of branches in prime urban locations was seen as the food chain’s greatest strength. So when the country entered into lockdowns the number of commuters drastically reduced, which meant sales did too. The firm soon become another victim of economic woes inflicted by the pandemic. The new move is their latest attempt to adapt to changes imposed by the virus.
As part of a rescue plan to save the business, Pret cut 3,000 jobs last summer, and closed 74 of its outlets in the UK in 2020. Earlier this year the chain got rid of dividend payments to its shareholders, and warned of uncertainties over its future.
The firm hope that the new partnership with Tesco will help them emerge from the lockdown. They are also increasing their motorway service shops in a partnership with Moto, after opening their first one last year.
Pret have also expanded their offering by introducing a subscription service that gives customers up to five cups of coffee a day for a £20 monthly fee. In addition, the company are selling branded ground coffee and espresso beans on Amazon.
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