Pret aims to expand its reach with launch of stores in Tesco supermarkets

The first concession and will open in June in the Tesco superstore in Kensington, with three further shop openings planned for later in the Summer.

All shops will serve a menu of freshly prepared food and organic coffee and teas, all prepared in Pret’s onsite kitchens throughout the day.

The expansion marks a significant move in Pret’s transformation plan to bring the brand to more people.

It follows the launch of Pret’s first ever supermarket range​​ earlier this year, with bake-at-home frozen croissants and granolas available in up to 700 Tesco stores across the country.

The group has also partnered with Moto, which will allow the company to expand their motorway service estate to three shops in the UK.

The first shop at Cherwell Valley opened in December 2020, followed by a second shop at Moto’s brand-new Rugby service that opened last month.

“Last year, we set ourselves the challenge of bringing Pret to more people," says Pano Christou, chief executive at Pret A Manger.

"Since then, we’ve launched and grown our Pret-at-Home range, bringing the joy Pret to people’s homes across the country.

“Now we’re taking this further and bringing the experience of Pret to select Tesco stores, making it even easier for customers to enjoy our freshly made food and organic coffee as part of their regular Tesco shop.

"As the UK emerges from lockdown, this partnership with Tesco is one way in which we’re transforming our business model to adjust to a new way of living and working. We look forward to working with the Tesco team on this partnership.”

Pret has become somewhat symbolic of the financial pain suffered by high-street operators as a result of the Coronavirus crises.

Last summer the chain said the impact of the pandemic had set sales back 10 years, with trade across its 367 high street sites down 60% year on year.

The group has so far been forced to close 36 of its sites, with more than 3,000 employees made redundant.