Pret a Manger is to trial opening stores in Tesco supermarkets in a bid to reach more customers as cafes continue to feel the effects of more people working from home (WFH) as a result of the coronavirus crisis.

The coffee and sandwich chain plans to open four in-store shops – the first in June at Tesco’s superstore in the Kensington area of London – as part of the experiment.

It forms part of a fight back plan for the chain, which cut more than 3,000 jobs last year as COVID-19 hit demand at its town and city centre locations with sales sinking to a 10-year low.

The turnaround has already seen Pret sell its bake-at-home frozen croissants and granola in around 700 Tesco stores while it has also launched a coffee subscription service and expanded deliveries.

It also plans to roll out more stores at Moto service stations.

Chief executive Pano Christou said: “Last year, we set ourselves the challenge of bringing Pret to more people.

“Since then, we’ve launched and grown our Pret-at-Home range, bringing the joy of Pret to people’s homes across the country.

“Now we’re taking this further and bringing the experience of Pret to select Tesco stores, making it even easier for customers to enjoy our freshly made food and organic coffee as part of their regular Tesco shop.

“As the UK emerges from lockdown, this partnership with Tesco is one way in which we’re transforming our business model to adjust to a new way of living and working.”

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