Pret A Manger is axing one thing following £525m loss last year

Fans of Pret A Manger might want to brace themselves, because the high-street giant is quietly switching things up once again.

The chain, known for fuelling commuters with oat flat whites and lunchtime sandwich fixes, has been tinkering with its offering over the past few years, and not always in ways customers expected.

From eye-watering salad prices to a total overhaul of its Club Pret subscription, the brand has been doing some serious soul-searching.

Earlier this year, Pret found itself under fire for its now-infamous £12.95 salads, more than double what shoppers would pay at M&S. The company defended the price tag by insisting the portions were larger, though that didn’t stop the internet from having its say. At the same time, customers have become noticeably more money-savvy.

Now, after a year of soaring costs and shifting priorities, Pret is swinging the axe, and the cut is a big one.

Pret is rethinking value and convenience after a major annual loss (Bloomberg/Getty Images)

The company has confirmed it is scrapping all 110 of its Pret Express self-service coffee machines across the UK following a staggering £525 million loss last year.

The machines, which served coffees, teas and hot chocolates in petrol stations and convenience stores, were originally launched to reach customers ‘in places where there wasn’t the right space to set up a new Pret shop’.

Once positioned as a way to take on competitors like Costa’s massive self-service network, the Express machines are now being removed entirely, with all units expected to disappear by the end of February.

As to why this is all happening, as reported by The Telegraph, Pret’s boss admitted how the pressures are real, with CEO Pano Christou saying shoppers were ‘much more price-conscious than ever’.

With households watching their spending and cafés battling rising costs, Pret has now been trying to strike the right balance between value and convenience.

It is now shifting focus to expand shops as self-service coffee machines disappear (Pret A Manger/eXpresso Plus)

Another issue Pret’s had is that it has also been expanding at a fast pace, opening new stores across the country and even celebrating its 500th UK location over the summer, with great added costs as a result.

Alongside that, the brand reworked its Club Pret subscription, ditching the £30-a-month package in favour of a cheaper £5-a-month deal giving members 50 per cent off up to five drinks a day. Christou said the revamped offer had given the chain ‘a little bit of oxygen in the system to shoulder a lot of inflation that’s come through’.

Corner shops and petrol stations that hosted the Pret machines will transition to L’Or self-service machines instead, as part of a shift in focus behind the scenes.

A Pret spokesperson said: “We have taken the decision to end our Pret Express trial so that we can focus investment on continuing to grow our UK shop estate. We’re working closely with [sister company] JDE Peet’s to ensure a smooth transition and are grateful for their partnership over the past four years.”