Pret A Manger closes 30 shops across the UK after 'severely declining sales'

Pret A Manger will close 30 shops and cut jobs after a steep fall in sales.

The coffee and sandwich seller has taken the measures after coronavirus forced the country into lockdown in March.

The company has slowly reopened 300 shops as lockdown measures have been eased, but it hasn't been enough to stop losses as sales have dropped 74% year on year.

Pret did not give a number for how many jobs would be lost but it is understood 1000 employees could be let go. Pret employs 13,000 people globally, including 8,000 in the UK.

The company said: "A consultation will therefore commence with shop teams and impacted Support Centre teams this week. No final decisions will be made until the consultation is complete."

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 now is to bring Pret to more people, through different channels and in new ways, enabling us to grow once more in the medium term."

Pret has hired property consultants Alvarez & Marsal and CWM to undertake a full real estate review.