Pret launches coffee subscription to win back customers post lockdown

04-Sep-2020 - Last updated on 26-Apr-2021 at 16:46 GMT

Pret A Manger is launching what it claims will be the UK’s first in-shop coffee subscription as part of its strategy to attract more customers post lockdown.

Launching on Tuesday 8 September, YourPret Barista will give subscribers up to five ‘barista-prepared’ drinks per day for a fixed monthly price of £20, with the first month being offered for free to all subscribers as part of the national launch.

Customers can subscribe online with the subscription loaded onto their Apple or Google digital wallets or accessed via emailed QR codes. Organic teas, hot chocolates, smoothies and frappes are also included as part of the subscription.

The move is being described as the flagship offer within the company’s strategic multichannel transformation programme to attract more people to the brand, which has been hit hard by the Coronavirus pandemic.

Last month the company was forced to make nearly 3,000 staff redundant as a result of closures and a fall in sales due to Coronavirus, reporting that the pandemic had set sales back 10 years.

YourPret Barista is built on Pret’s new digital infrastructure, which it says will allow it to launch insight-led customer propositions more quickly and at scale. Other recent examples include the launch of its first retail coffee range of ground coffee and espresso beans, available via Amazon, and a new dinner menu available through its delivery partners or seasonal specials such as picnic platters.

The new approach will also enable it to develop insight and data-led products and services, says Pret, many of which are already in trial across London.

“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,” says Pret CEO Pano Christou.

“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.

The group says that its recovery has begun, and that it has averaged around 7% sales growth each week since July.