Pret axes free coffee subscription after 'rethink'

Pret A Manger will axe its free coffee subscription in favour of a discount system after a "rethink".

Under the current system, which Pret said "almost seemed 'too good to be true'", subscribers can order up to five coffees a day for a monthly fee of £30.

The new model, starting in September, will instead offer half price off up to five coffees a day for £10 a month and end the one fifth discount on food.

The move has led to a backlash from current subscribers on social media, but a retail expert backed the move, stating the old model "alienated" non-subscribers.

Pret said it had "never really got comfortable" with the dual pricing system as it announced it was scrapping the current offer.

In a letter sent to customers, managing director Clare Clough said the introduction of the coffee subscription during the Covid pandemic had been an "innovative way" maintain customers and attract new ones.

She said it brought "customers back into our shops with an offer that almost seemed 'too good to be true'".

"Four years and over a quarter of a billion coffees later, we have decided that it's time to rethink how it works," she added.

But subscribers criticised the move on social media, with one calling it a "massive, monumental" error and others saying they would switch to rival coffee chains.

One customer called it an "own goal" and a "big big mistake".

Back in 2020, Pret, which has more than 650 shops, most of which are in London and the south of England, initially charged £20 for its subscription, before increasing it last year.

Ms Clough said its new offer was at a "much more accessible price than the £360 a year people have to pay for the current scheme".

"Given the majority of our customers are not Club Pret subscribers, our priority now is to focus on better value for everyone," she added.

Pret refused to disclose how many Club Pret customers it has.

Retail analyst Natalie Berg told the BBC that while Pret was "right" to target and reward its most loyal customers, the chain had "alienated everyone else" in the process.

"Consumers today want immediate value. They shouldn’t need a calculator to work out if they’re getting a good deal," she said.

Ms Berg said the original subscription service launched during the pandemic was "commendable", but asked: "How many people really drink five coffees a day?"

"The new subscription model reinforces a stronger value message which should help Pret appeal to a wider audience," she added, citing moves from competitors like Leon.

"Brands are moving away from overly complicated loyalty schemes in favour of simplified pricing and real-time rewards."