UK
Pret cuts prices of best-selling sandwiches after profiteering accusations

Daniel Woolfson
Fri, 16 February 2024 

Pret prices

Pret a Manger has reduced the price of its best-selling sandwiches after the retailer was hit with claims of profiteering.

Price cuts have been introduced across Pret’s six most popular products, with some sandwiches falling by up to £1.

That includes the price of a tuna baguette, which has been lowered from £4.25 to £3.99, and the Posh Cheddar baguette, which has fallen from £4.99 to £3.99.

A total of 66p has also been knocked off the price of a cheese toastie, which now costs customers £4.99. Egg mayo sandwiches have also been cut from £3.40 to £2.99.

It comes after the sandwich chain was forced to defend hiking prices over the past two years.

The company’s shops and franchise director Guy Meakin said last October that the company had always been “transparent” with its customers.

He told The Grocer: “It’s a really tough market. Energy costs have gone up through the roof, and are now starting to plateau and come down, which is encouraging – but still significantly higher than before.

“But prices are going up, so unfortunately, we are having to pass our prices through to our customers from time to time.”

Pret’s chief executive Pano Christou has also blamed price hikes on inflationary costs, which have impacted labour, ingredients and energy.

It is understood bosses opted to raise prices rather than reduce the size of products.

Pret also increased the cost of its subscription service, which offers customers five barista-made drinks a day, from £25 per month to £30.

Price hikes helped Pret return to profit in 2022 after plunging to a £225m loss during the pandemic. Since then, the chain has embarked on an expansion across the UK and international markets.

It currently runs around 450 stores across the UK and is expected to hit the 500 mark in 2024.

As part of its expansion, Pret has been opening stores in more rural areas and commuter towns in a bid to grow its footprint around city centres.

Clare Clough, UK and Ireland managing director at Pret, said: “We’ve been looking at opportunities to bring down our prices where possible.

“Earlier this year, we reduced the prices on six of our freshly made bestselling sandwiches and baguettes by over 10pc on average, including the much-loved tuna mayo baguette and Jambon Beurre.

“Our Club Pret subscribers would also receive an additional 20pc off these products, as well as across our entire menu.”