Pret a Manger is discontinuing its "free drinks" subscription, which has been popular over the past four years, in favor of a new plan offering half-price drinks. The original plan allowed subscribers to enjoy five free drinks a day and receive a 20% discount on food for £30 a month. The new subscription, launching in September, will cost £10 per month for half-price drinks but will initially be available for £5 monthly until March 2025. This change aims to eliminate the dual pricing system that the company found uncomfortable. Clare Clough, Pret's UK managing director, argues that the new plan will be more accessible, costing significantly less than the current £360 annual fee. Despite the intention to make the offer more inclusive, the move has faced backlash from loyal customers, some of whom expressed their disappointment and threatened to cancel their subscriptions. Pret, which recently returned to profit for the first time since 2018, noted that while the subscription service was instrumental in its post-Covid recovery, the majority of its customers were not subscribers, prompting the need for a more universally appealing offer.
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