Pret A Manger increases prices by up to 18% amid soaring costs
It’s Pret-flation! Pret A Manger hikes prices by up to 18% with croissants up 40p to £2.60, Chef’s Italian Chicken Salad now £6.99 and a cappuccino £3.45
- Price of an all-butter croissant at Pret’s station stores is up 40p or 18.2% to £2.60
- Chocolate croissants are up 35p or 13.7% to £2.90, while bottled water is up 10p
Pret A Manger has pushed up prices by as much as 18 per cent on the back of soaring food ingredient costs, punishing energy bills and the need to give staff three pay rises this year.
Steep rises in the cost of some breakfast items and treats confirm reports from the Office for National Statistics, Which? and retail analysts that annual food increases are the highest on record.
And the increases, which are likely to be mirrored by other coffee shop chains such as Costa, Starbucks and Caffe Nero, suggest there is no let up in the cost of living squeeze.
Snapshot surveys by the Mail show the prices charged by Pret A Manger for its popular mix of coffees, pastries, sandwiches, baguettes, wraps and snacks vary sharply depending on location.
At the same time, there is a huge price premium when buying through apps, such as Just Eat and Deliveroo – even before hefty fees and delivery charges are added.
Looking at Pret’s so-called station shops, which are placed near Tube and rail stations plus airports, the price of an all-butter croissant has gone up 40p – 18.2 per cent – to £2.60.
The figure for its chocolate croissant rose by 35p – 13.7 per cent – to £2.90. And its dark chocolate and almond butter cookie rose 35p – 14.6 per cent – to £2.75.
A cinnamon Danish is up 25p – 9.4 per cent – to £2.90. There has also been a 10p rise on a 500ml bottle of still water, taking it up by 5.5 per cent to £1.90.
Most of these also went up at Pret high street stores, although the increases were lower in cash and percentange terms.
As result, the price gap between station outlets and its high street stores has grown.
For example, a Scottish smoked salmon sandwich rises from £4.99 in the high street to £5.35 at a station outlet and £5.80 if bought through a delivery app.
Similarly, a free range egg mayo sandwich goes up from £3.25 to £3.50 and is £3.80 if bought through an app.
A chicken caesar bacon baguette rises from £5.25 in the high street to £5.99 from a station outlet and £6.50 through an app.
The price for a Chef’s Italian chicken goes up from £6.50 to £6.99 and £7.99 if bought via an app.
Looking at coffees, a cappuccino is £3.30 in the high street, £3.45 at a station shop and £3.75 if bought via an app.
An espresso goes from £2.30 to £2.45 and then £2.80 via an app.
Pret stressed that none of its hot drinks, salads and sandwiches have gone up this week, however the company is under enormous cost pressures.
At the same time, it has increased average base pay by 19 per cent in a year to hang on to staff, who have their own bills to pay.
A spokesperson said: ‘Like many businesses, we have had to increase our prices to respond to rising cost pressures. We’ve also chosen to invest in our hardworking team by providing them with higher wages they deserve.’
She added: ‘Earlier this year, we introduced new offers giving customers more choice and better value from our range of high-quality freshly made food and organic coffee.
The prices charged by Pret A Manger for its popular mix of coffees, pastries, sandwiches, baguettes, wraps and snacks vary sharply depending on location
‘This includes our expanded Made Simple range and our Coffee Subscription which continue to offer great value.’
Speaking to the Mail before Christmas, the Pret boss, Pano Christou, described the impact of high energy costs as ‘enormous’.
He said: ‘It is the number one cost challenge we’re facing now. Over the past year, we’ve seen huge cost increases in all kinds of ingredients and materials, but the ones we’re seeing in energy prices are on a different level.’
Sunflower oil, much of which comes from Ukraine, has risen along with wheat, milk and cheese.
Mr Christou said: ‘We have seen big increases in milk. Coffee beans have gone up by 40 per cent. We try to mitigate what we pass on to customers.’
High supermarket prices and a series of rises at chains like Pret, McDonalds and Greggs will fuel suspicions of so-called ‘greedflation’.
There is evidence from Which? that many shoppers believe supermarkets and others are pushing up prices by more than is justified.
The consumer group found trust in supermarkets has been falling.
It said: ‘Among consumers who do not trust the sector, price rises emerged as a common reason, particularly the perception that prices are sometimes artificially inflated, and go beyond what is necessary for businesses to offset their own rising costs.’
It has been suggested by a leading Bank of England adviser, the Tesco chairman and farmers that some businesses are trying to push through larger price rises than are justified.
Catherine Mann, one of the nine members of Monetary Policy Committee, said she was concerned about the ability of firms to take advantage of consumer willingness to tolerate higher prices.
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