A consequence of Covid-19 and the challenging times will see Pret A Manger shutting down 30 stores as part of a restructuring exercise.
The closure of the sandwich shops will mean a loss of employment for 330 people while the restructuring of the company may result in closer to 1,000 jobs being axed as the well-known chain aims to cut down staff numbers at other sites across the UK.
Pret Chief Executive Pano Christou said: “It’s a sad day for the whole Pret family and I’m devastated that we will be losing so many employees. But we must make these changes to adapt to the new retail environment. Our goal is now to bring Pret to more people, through different channels and in new ways, enabling us to grow once more in the medium term.”
The easing of lockdown restrictions has meant that 339 of Pret’s 410 store portfolio has re-opened, while the brand has said that sales are down 74 per cent because of the lower footfall caused by the coronavirus.
