Pret a Manger's Club Pret subscription, introduced in 2020, allowed customers to enjoy up to five drinks a day and a 20% discount on food for £30 a month. However, starting in September, the subscription will transition to a new model offering half-price drinks for £10 a month. This change could end up costing the heaviest users more than £200 a month. The shift comes after Pret's Managing Director Clare Clough acknowledged that the original offer was "too good to be true," and offered a £1.99 croissant as a consolation. This change reveals a broader trend in consumer offers, where companies lure customers with loss leaders, only to switch to more sustainable pricing models once a loyal customer base is established. Pret's subscription model was initially a response to the decline in foot traffic due to hybrid working patterns, but now, with more people returning to office life, the necessity for such aggressive promotional tactics has diminished. The subscription model, while initially successful, also made Pret vulnerable to inflation and rising costs, necessitating the recent changes. In essence, the new pricing model at Pret signals the end of an era for both the company and its loyal caffeine-dependent customers.
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