Following the news that international sandwich shop chain Pret has bought rivals EAT and plans to turn stores into “Veggie Prets”,

Jenny Questier, Senior Consumer Analyst at GlobalData offers her view:

“Currently, only four of Prets 400 stores are vegan as they have been developing the concept in London and Manchester since their first vegetarian store opened as a pop-up in 2016.

“With growing consumer awareness of sustainability issues and their own environmental impact, dietary trends are being influenced. 

“Despite the number of consumers reporting to be strictly vegan or vegetarian are still relatively low, Pret’s acquisition of Eat is a seemingly strategic move as according to GlobalData’s Q3 2018 consumer survey, the number of global consumers now reporting to be following a ‘vegan’/‘vegetarian’/‘low meat diet’ is 30%.

“Alongside this, consumer demand for on-the-go food products remains high because people lack the time to eat full meals at traditional times and in conventional environments, like the home. As such, consumers are looking for prepared options, or food that they can easily consume during their commute to and from work or in the time the get between tasks in their busy schedules.

“Consumers are looking to maintain the quality of the products they purchase but for faster and easier solutions. Many are frequently looking for products and services that are local to them and cater for their individual needs including their increasing awareness of health and sustainability issues.

“The acquisition of EAT by Pret and its continuing plans to cater more for the growing number of consumers looking for ‘veggie’ options demonstrates how dietary trends are changing and how brands and manufacturers are committing to this.”