Pret A Manger has reported its 12th consecutive year of growth, with sales up 15%.
The food to go retailer posted group sales growth up to £776.2m and an 11% rise in EBITDA to £93.2m for the year ending 29 December 2016. Like-for-like sales grew by 4.8%.
“This is another year of record results for Pret and our 12th consecutive year of revenue and EBITDA growth,” said Pret CEO Clive Schlee.
“We will of course continue to focus on the essentials: menu innovation and the quality of our ingredients, opening new shops in top-class locations around the world, and above all, recruiting and engaging our wonderful teams.”
Across the period, Pret opened 50 new stores including 31 in the UK, nine in the US and its first outlet in Dubai, leaving total year-end store numbers at 444.
The retailer said it planned to focus on the “attractive growth opportunity” offered by transport hubs as 16% of its total sales came from shops in airports and train stations. Its Heathrow terminal five location delivered the highest sales of any store worldwide.
“Transport hubs offer an attractive growth opportunity for Pret shops globally as travellers increasingly seek fresh, healthy food and fast, friendly service,” said Schlee.
“New shops were opened in key locations, including a second shop in Penn Station in New York, a first in Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, and one in Dubai International Airport.”
It opened a second Veggie Pret location in Shoreditch earlier this month and said over half of the customers were not vegan or vegetarian, but meat eaters looking to cut down.
The retailer also said over half of its sales now fell outside of lunchtime, as customers shifted to healthy snacking and out of home meals.
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