Pret a Manger axes 2,800 jobs and closes 30 coffee and…

Pret a Manger axes 2,800 jobs and closes 30 coffee and sandwich stores - including two in Scotland

Pret a Manger has axed 2,800 roles from its shops across the UK after completing a restructuring of its business

The cuts come after the coffee and sandwich chain said last month that it was planning a shake-up which would result in the closure of 30 shops - including two in Scotland.

Pret said that although there have been "clear signs of recovery" in footfall since the lockdown was eased, trade across its shops is still around 60 per cent down year-on-year.

The reduction in staff numbers has been driven by "shorter opening hours, lower transaction levels, and the losses faced by the business in 2020", it said.

Alongside the reduction in shop staff, a further 90 roles have been cut in the company's support centre teams.

Around 1,000 other roles at the business have been preserved after staff members agreed to move to a lower level of minimum weekly hours.

These hours will be continuously reviewed to reflect footfall and sales levels during the rest of 2020 and early 2021, it said.

Chief executive officer Pano Christou said: "I'm gutted that we've had to lose so many colleagues.

"Although we're now starting to see a steady but slow recovery, the pandemic has taken away almost a decade of growth at Pret.

"We've managed to protect many jobs by making changes to the way we run our shops and the hours we ask team members to work.

"I'm hopeful we'll be able to review all these changes now that trade is improving again, and I'm encouraged by the improvements we're seeing every week.

"We'll soon be announcing a number of big changes to help bring Pret to more people.

"We're grateful to the Government for the support they've given our sector, and hope that support will continue as long as possible to give Pret time to adjust."