Pret a Manger has announced changes to its Club Pret subscription service, replacing free drinks with a 50% discount, sparking outrage among customers. The current scheme, costing £30 per month or £360 annually, offers five free barista-made drinks daily and 20% off food. From September, subscribers will pay £10 monthly (reduced to £5 until March 2025) for 50% off five drinks per day, with no food discount.
Customers have taken to social media to express anger, with many threatening to cancel their subscriptions. One user wrote: 'Have a word I will be cancelling as I think many others will be!!! Shame on you.' Another said: 'Pret changing their subscription to 50% off five drinks instead of it being free five drinks…. that just ruined my day.'
Pret's managing director Clare Clough defended the move in a letter to customers, stating: 'With Club Pret subscription, our coffees, teas, coolers and iced drinks will continue to be the best offer on the high street, and at a much more accessible price than the £360 a year people have to pay for the current scheme.' The company said the change reflects a focus on 'better value for everyone', as most customers are not subscribers.
To mitigate the backlash, Pret has reduced prices on some items: filter coffee drops from £1.80 to 99p, and all-butter croissants to £1.99. This follows earlier restrictions in March on subscribers sharing drinks and discounts.
