Pret has become the latest company to reveal a dramatic fall in sales amid the Coronavirus pandemic.
Sales 74% compared to the same period last year due to “shorter opening hours, lower transaction levels, and the losses faced by the business in 2020”.
As a result, Pret will be axing 2,800 jobs and permanently close 30 stores.
“I’m gutted that we’ve had to lose so many colleagues,” said Pano Christou, the group’s chief executive.
“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,” he added.
“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.”
Over 24,000 jobs in total have been lost on the high street in administration in the first half of 2020 alone.