Pret A Manger plots neighbourhood expansion to diversify customer base

Pret's planned neighbourhood expansion is another part of its strategy to diversify from its core London store base 

Pret A Manger is planning to broaden its customer base by opening more locations outside London and city centres. 
 

The coffee and food-to-go chain plans to open 100 franchised and 100 company-operated stores over the next two to three years. 
 

Pret's strategy to catalyse the heightened popularity of neighbourhood coffee shops during Covid-19 lockdowns could prove lucrative. 
 

World Coffee Portal research identifies a sustained trend towards localness, particularly in Europe and the US, driven by pandemic restrictions and remote working, which has subsequently led to increasing support for neighbourhood and suburban coffee shops. 
 

The coffee and food-to-go chain has been heavily impacted by reduced commuter and office worker footfall caused by Covid-19 disruption. 
 

Subsequently, Pret has sought to diversify its business to reach new customers and offset revenue losses. 
 

In July 2021, the chain partnered with creative agency VCCP to improve its digital marketing capabilities. In the same month Pret announced plans to launch a new self-serve coffee brand to diversify sales. 
 

Pret also launched ‘YourPret Barista’ in September 2020, a monthly subscription service offering up to five barista-beverages per day for a £20 ($26) in the UK to encourage in-store visits. 
 

Additionally, the coffee chain partnered with UK supermarket Waitrose and online giant Amazon in November 2020 to boost sales of its retail packaged coffee.