Pret A Manger has opened in Dubai International Financial District located at Index Mall and Bay Avenue Mall, featuring a range of fresh food and coffee options.
The expansion forms part of a long-term franchise partnership with Emirates Leisure Retail, which is set to see 20 shops open in the UAE over the next few years, creating hundreds of jobs.
Eira Jarvis, Managing Director for Pret A Manger Asia speaks to Campaign Middle East about global expansion for the brand.
How do you differentiate your value proposition from other food brands?
All of our food is freshly prepared each day in our on-site kitchens, using high quality ingredients, and this is what helps to set us apart from others in the market.
We pride ourselves on offering delectable food options and we are constantly innovating to bring customers more variety and new products to enjoy. Our experience in other markets is what really helps bring customers into our shops every time, and we expect this to be no different in our new Dubai locations.
What has been the biggest challenge in expanding internationally? What do you consider the biggest barrier?
Pret has grown from a beloved UK business into a global brand. Back in September 2021, we announced plans to double the size of the business within five years and expand into five new markets. International expansion has been an amazing opportunity for us and the new openings in Dubai are just the latest example of this.
We’ve expanded at pace but have remained true to the Pret way throughout. Quality food and drink is something we aren’t prepared to compromise on at Pret, so when expanding into new markets we have selected franchise partners who share this commitment.
Our franchise partners have been crucial for our international ambitions and have helped us navigate the complexities of local markets. Different food trends and cultures is just one of the potential challenges, but one our partners have helped us to embrace. Within the UAE, our master franchisee is Emirates Leisure Retail and their partnership and guidance has been critical to the success of the recent store openings.
How do you position the brand?
Pret is about quality, freshly prepared food and organic coffee. This is exactly how we will be positioning ourselves in Dubai – as the go to place for a wide range of fresh food and coffee, aswell as friendly and fast service.
We are incredibly proud of the hard work of our Pret team members, and the service in our two new shops in Dubai. Customers in Dubai can always count on a warm welcome when they visit one of our spots.
How do you orchestrate messaging across online and offline touchpoints during expansion?
The way we communicate, engage, and interact with customers is critical to Pret. It becomes even more important when we expand into new markets, where customers may be discovering Pret for the first time.
We are known for our joyous and playful tone of voice, and this is something that carries through to both online and offline touchpoints across our markets. Whether our customers are in the UK, Europe, the US or Asia, they can expect to hear about our freshly made, quality food and drink.
To spread the word about Pret, we use a centralised marketing approach, overseen by Pret’s global marketing team. This ensures we are sharing the same message across our markets, while still allowing room for some local customisation to ensure we are tapping into the local culture.
