Pret A Manger Cuts 2,800 Jobs Due To Slump In Trade

By Dave Simpson
Pret A Manger Cuts 2,800 Jobs Due To Slump In Trade

British coffee and sandwich chain Pret a Manger has said that it is cutting 2,800 jobs as it completes restructuring of its UK business following a hit to customer demand by the coronavirus crisis.

Pret, which is owned by investment group JAB Holdings, said that trade across its UK shops remains 60% lower year-on-year even as sales and footfall are starting to show some signs of recovery.

"Although we're now starting to see a steady but slow recovery, the pandemic has taken away almost a decade of growth at Pret," Pret chief executive Pano Christou said.

Pret's decision to cut jobs is a reflection of shorter opening hours, lower transaction levels and the losses that it has incurred this year as the COVID-19 pandemic kept customers away.

July Closures And Number Of Employees Following Consultations

In July, the company closed 30 UK outlets as it experienced a much slower recovery in the UK compared to the other countries in which it trades.

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Pret, which has 367 shops in the UK and a further 130 shops abroad, said that it will employ 6,000 team members in the UK after the conclusion of all its ongoing consultations.

News by Reuters, edited by Hospitality Ireland. Click subscribe to sign up for the Hospitality Ireland print edition.