Less bread and WFH Fridays – what Pret boss knows about our habits

pret's boss says fridays are "definitely quieter" in stores as hybrid work settles in. he doesn't expect a return to five-day weeks. the chain is trying to shift to more residential locations but can't move fast enough — most of its 550 uk stores are still in city centres. on food, pret sold 40% more of its "super plates" salad range than expected, despite none of those salads making the top 20 items last year. bread-based products still dominate, making up over half of that list. the salads cost up to £12.95 and sell better at end of day than baguettes. the subscription model now costs £5 a month for up to five half-price drinks — down from £20 for free drinks during covid. sign-ups rose almost 25% in the last year. pret is also trialling meal deals in some stores. costs are squeezing. pret faced £20m in higher costs last year from food inflation but didn't pass it on. it also took a £500m writedown linked to the autumn budget and global uncertainty. christou says customers "don't have as much money" and are "looking more for value," but pret has no current plans to raise prices.