Pret A Manger confirms it will close Sheffield city centre store following lockdown

The firm has closed its Fargate shop in a cost cutting move which will see 30 branches shut altogether and 1,000 jobs put at risk.

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In a statement issued today, Pret said: “We have taken the difficult decision to not reopen our Sheffield Fargate shop.

“We’re incredibly grateful to all our team members and will be doing what we can to help them find new job opportunities.

“Although we are working hard to adapt Pret to the new retail environment, the coronavirus pandemic has massively affected our industry and it is no longer financially viable for us to continue operations at this shop.

“Fifteen team members have sadly been affected.”

The company said nationally sales across the UK have dropped by 74 per cent compared to last year.

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Bosses said 300 sandwich and coffee shops it has reopened in the UK have not recovered as fast as in other countries.

Thirty shops will close permanently, while staffing levels will be scaled back at other sites.

Pret chief executive Pano Christou said: “When the coronavirus crisis hit, we said that our priority was to protect our people, our customers, and of course Pret. We confirmed it was our intention to do everything we could to save jobs.

“Although we were able to do that through the lockdown, thanks in particular to the Government's vital support, we cannot defy gravity and continue with the business model we had before the pandemic. That is why we have adapted our business and found new ways to reach our customers.

“It's a sad day for the whole Pret family, and I'm devastated that we will be losing so many employees.

“These decisions are not a reflection on anyone's work or commitment. But we must make these changes to succeed in the new retail environment.

“We will be supporting our leavers to find new positions through a number of initiatives.

“Our goal now is to bring Pret to more people, through different channels and in new ways.”