RBL has announced a strategic partnership with global fresh food & organic coffee chain, Pret A Manger, to launch and build the brand in India. With this long-term master franchise partnership, RBL will open the food chain across the country starting with major cities and travel hubs.
Pret A Manger, French for ‘ready to eat’, first opened in London in 1986. It was a shop with a mission to create handmade food, freshly prepared each day. Over 35 years later, the brand currently has 550 shops globally across 9 markets including the UK, US, Europe, and Asia, offering organic coffee, sandwiches, salads and wraps freshly made each day.
“Our partnership with Pret is rooted in the strong growth potential of both Pret as a brand as also of the food & beverage industry in India. RBL closely follows the pulse of Indian consumers and there is an increased consciousness of what we eat – rapidly making Food the new Fashion. Indians, like their global counterparts, are seeking Fresh and Organic ingredient-led dining experiences which has been synonymous with Pret’s core offering. Couple that with the high recall the brand enjoys in the country, it’s undoubtedly a recipe for success.” said Darshan Mehta, MD, Reliance Brands Limited.
As India’s largest luxury to premium retailer, RBL has over 14 years nurtured and grown global brands in the country. With its rich cache of insights on customers’ evolving spending habits and an ambitious expansion plan, RBL’s first foray into the food industry will bring the much-loved Pret dining experience, to one of the biggest retail markets.
Pano Christou, CEO, Pret A Manger said: “Two decades ago, we opened Pret’s first shop in Asia and it’s been an inspiration for all of us to bring our freshly made food and 100% organic coffee to new cities across the continent. RBL are a great partner to help us do just that, bringing their years of expertise in the market to help our brand succeed in India. We’re looking forward to working with them on what is our most ambitious global franchise partnership to date.”
Pret A Manger opened in London in 1986. Pret’s sandwiches, salads and wraps are freshly made each day in shop kitchens using quality ingredients. Any unsold food will be donated to local charities at the end of every day through The Pret foundation which works to help alleviate homelessness, poverty, and hunger. Pret currently has shops in the UK, US, Hong Kong, France, Dubai, Switzerland, Brussels, Singapore, and Germany.
RBL is a subsidiary of Reliance Retail Ventures Ltd and began operations in 2007 with a mandate to launch and build global brands in luxury to premium segments across fashion and lifestyle. Its current portfolio of brand partnerships comprises Armani Exchange, Bally, Bottega Veneta, Brooks Brothers, Burberry, Canali, Coach, Diesel, Dune, EA7, Emporio Armani, Ermenegildo Zegna, G-Star
Raw, Gas, Giorgio Armani, Hamleys, Hugo Boss, Hunkemoller, Iconix, Jimmy Choo, Kate Spade New York, Manish Malhotra, Michael Kors, Mothercare, Muji, Paul & Shark, Paul Smith, Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids, Raghavendra Rathore, Replay, Salvatore Ferragamo, Satya Paul, Steve Madden, Superdry, Scotch & Soda, Tiffany & Co., Tory Burch, Tumi, Versace, Villeroy & Boch and West Elm. RBL today operates 1,937 doors split into 732 stores and 1,205 shop-in-shops in India.
In 2019, RBL marked its first international foray by acquiring the British toy retailer, Hamleys. Globally Hamleys has 213 doors across 15 countries.
