// Pret a Manger posts sales rise and plans to double business in next 5 years
// Sales rose by a colossal 230% year-on-year to £357.8m in the first half
Pret a Manger has recorded strong sales as it plans to double the business over the next five years.
Sales rose by a colossal 230% year-on-year to £357.8 million in the first half, up 260% compared to 2020.
In May, Pret recorded revenues surpassing pre-pandemic levels in 2019, driven by regional growth.
READ MORE: Pret a Manger to open 100 stores in India
Meanwhile, Pret’s sales in its regional stores outperformed its sales in its London stores as it focuses on diversifying its store portfolio.
Two-thirds of Pret’s store portfolio is now located outside the square mile of London, with 36% in regional towns. New store openings this year include Harrogate, York and Leeds.
Pret is now tracking ahead of its targets to double its business in the next five years, and has almost reached its goal to launch in five new markets by the end of 2023.
The chain has announced franchise agreements with partners in Canada, Ireland, Spain, Portugal and India, and expects to reach this goal one year ahead of schedule.
“Two years ago, we said we wanted to bring Pret to more people,” Pret chief executive Pano Christou said.
“During the first half of this year, we not only delivered on that pledge, but we also grew fastest in some of the places where we only had a handful of Pret shops before.
“That’s a fantastic result and shows how big the appetite is for freshly-prepared food and organic coffee in towns and cities across the UK.
“The opportunity now is for us to take that growth and apply it internationally. Since the start of this year, we’ve signed four new partnership agreements to take Pret into new global markets.
“The second half of this year will be about taking that a step further, while continuing to run our business with the fast, friendly, joyful service which has made Pret what it is today.”
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