S Poddar
Coffee lovers have reason to celebrate as Pret A Manger has decided to reverse its controversial price hike on its popular five-drinks-a-day subscription. The sandwich and coffee chain initially planned to double the cost of its Club Pret membership from £5 to £10 per month, but after receiving feedback from customers, it has decided to keep the price unchanged.
Subscribers received an email confirming that the monthly fee for Club Pret would remain at £5. In the announcement, Pret stated: “At Pret, we believe in offering high-quality, organic coffee and barista-made drinks at fantastic value. With Club Pret, you’ll continue to enjoy great savings on up to five barista-made drinks per day.”
Previously, the company had informed customers that the subscription fee would increase starting March 31, when a 50% discount promotion was set to end. This decision followed a major overhaul of its original subscription model, which had been priced at £25 per month, later rising to £30. The new model introduced in July last year allowed customers to enjoy five drinks per day at half price for £10 a month.
The response from customers has been largely positive, with many taking to social media to express their relief. One user on X (formerly Twitter) tagged the brand, writing: “Congratulations for keeping your membership fee at £5. Whilst I was unhappy with the original changes, this goes a little way to mending that bridge!”
In addition to freezing the subscription price, Pret has also made adjustments to other perks. The chain removed a 20% discount on food purchases for subscribers, a decision it said was made to end “dual pricing” — a practice that, in hindsight, the company admitted it was never fully comfortable with.
The initial subscription model, introduced in September 2020 during the height of the pandemic, was aimed at encouraging customers to return to stores as remote work kept many people away from city centers. Under that plan, subscribers could enjoy up to five barista-made drinks per day for a flat fee of £25 per month, which later increased to £30.
However, the model saw several changes over the years. In March last year, Pret implemented stricter policies to prevent subscribers from sharing their benefits with others. Some customers had found loopholes in the system, allowing them to share free drinks with friends and colleagues, prompting the brand to take action.
The timing of Pret’s decision to maintain its £5 subscription price comes amid rising coffee bean costs globally. Last week, coffee bean prices hit an all-time high of $4,300 (£3,356) per tonne due to supply chain disruptions, geopolitical conflicts, and poor harvests in Brazil and Vietnam. These factors have led to ongoing concerns about coffee shortages, particularly for Arabica beans, which are preferred by major coffee chains worldwide.
As of April 2024, Pret A Manger operates 498 stores across the UK, with 291 located in London. The company continues to expand, recently opening a new branch in Sheffield last November after an earlier store in the city center closed in 2020. Additionally, Pret has extended its reach beyond Europe by launching its first store in Africa, with a new location in Johannesburg.
This latest move to keep the subscription price at £5 signals that Pret is listening to its loyal customer base. Whether this decision will remain in place long-term is uncertain, especially with fluctuating coffee prices and rising operational costs. However, for now, Pret fans can continue to enjoy their daily caffeine fix without the added expense.
