High street food chain Pret A Manger has announced that it plans to shut 30 of its UK stores as a result of plunging sales amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The sandwich and coffee takeaway group's chief executive, Pano Christou, said: “It’s a sad day for the whole Pret family, and I’m devastated that we will be losing so many employees.
"But we must make these changes to adapt to the new retail environment.
“Our goal now is to bring Pret to more people, through different channels and in new ways, enabling us to grow once more in the medium term.”
Weekly sales are reported to have fallen to just £3million, just 15 per cent of normal levels, despite reopening swathes of sites, reports the ManchesterEveningNews.
Stores in the UK, France and US have been hit hard by the lockdown as office workers have been forced to stay at home.
Pret A Manger confirmed in May that it hired advisers to help renegotiate rents in a bid to avoid store closures.
It is expected to make an official announcement on job losses this week.
The chain has reopened around 300 of its UK stores for takeaway and delivery customers, after shutting all of its sites in March.
