Pret A Manger subscription programme rebrands to Club Pret offering nearly unlimited drinks and 10% discount on all food items in the UK.

In late 2020, Pret A Manger launched YourPret Barista programme, the UK’s first-of-its-kind beverage subscription programme. At that time, loyalty expert Paula Thomas predicted that “like Pret, we’re betting that subscriptions offer a powerful model with recurring revenue and “extreme loyalty” needed in these unprecedented times!”

In 2020, for £20, YourPret members could receive up to five drinks per day from an extensive list of Pret coffees, teas, hot chocolates, iced coffees, cold brew, frappes and blended smoothies, including any milk alternatives, syrups and extra shots.

Unlike the COVID restrictions of 2020, subscription programmes have stayed around, following on three years of consumer behavior analysis. According to the company, subscriptions are now redeemed 1.25 million times per week, up 11% year-on-year. 

Pret A Manger Subscription programme Extends to Food

This week, Pret A Manger added another layer to the popular beverage subscription programme in their UK stores. Rebranding the programme to Club Pret, “any Club Pret subscriber will continue to get up to five Barista-prepared drinks each day and now 10% off everything on our menu, for just £30 per month, and half-price for the first month,” according to Pano Christou, Chief Executive Officer for Pret A Manger.

“Over the past year, we’ve been thinking about how we can give back to the people who matter most to Pret A Manger – our teams, for their hard work and dedication, and our customers. For our teams, we’ve increased pay three times in the last 12 months. Now we’re doubling down on our loyalty strategy, expanding our Coffee Subscription to food, and rebranding it to Club Pret, to say thank you to our most loyal customers who keep choosing Pret,” says Cristou.

In addition to changing the name, Pret has replaced smoothies and frappes with a few new drink items: Pret Coolers and shakes.

As an extra incentive to grab new subscribers, the first month is half price of £15! For current subscribers, the price will increase slightly from £20 to £25 at first and then to £30.

Subscriptions Save Customers Money

Subscription programmes are smart economic decisions for customers. Pret went an extra step on their website to prove it. A savings calculator is on the Club Pret website to demonstrate to their most frequent customers how much they save in a month by buying into their beverage subscription programme versus paying one-off for each drink.

Adding Food Discounts Is Attractive for Pret A Manger

The attractive part of a rewards programme for customers are in discounts. Fuel discounts, coupons, and free items entice customers to join and frequent, reliable rewards get them to stay. 

Pret A Manger saw this and doubled down on their subscription savings by increasing the monthly price ever so much to entice customers to add food items – any food item – to their drink visit. “Whether you want a morning caffeine hit, a lunchtime freshly made baguette or an afternoon pick me up, Club Pret has it covered, Save 10% off our entire menu (Every. Single. Day),” as it says on their website. It continues, “make every day a Pret “yay” by enjoying savings every time you grab any of our freshly made food, snacks & drinks in shop. Be it your go to breakfast, baguette, roll, wrap or salad. Everything is included, so what’s not to love?”

Subscriptions Convert Customers Into Automatic Shoppers

Subscription programmes take the thinking out of the customer’s daily journey. For instance, a drink subscriber would already want to use their paid subscription and might plan an entire trip around that store. While notifications and marketing are a great nudge, a subscription programme is a guaranteed conversion of members to automatic customers who will be in the store and a good indicator that they’re going to buy even more once there.

Subscription programmes for drinks and snacks are a win for both retailers and customers. Retailers can count on recurring revenue through automatic customers and increased basket sizes. Customers can feel that they are saving money with a subscription and it also takes the thinking out of where to stop.

About the Author

Carolyn Schnare, Chief Content Officer, Liquid Barcodes

Carolyn Schnare has been involved with the convenience retailing industry for two decades with extensive knowledge of customer engagement and marketing, sustainability, and community outreach. Prior to Liquid Barcodes, Schnare worked at NACS (National Association of Convenience Stores) in a variety of roles from event production to membership and most recently as Director of Strategic Initiatives and host and producer of the popular industry podcast, Convenience Matters. Schnare currently anchors the popular Shop Talk LIVE! video series produced by Global Convenience Store Focus media group.