The Challenge

Julian Metcalfe and Sinclair Beecham founded Pret A Manger (“Pret”) near Victoria Station London in 1986. The shop was an instant hit with nearby office workers, offering freshly made Italian-inspired sandwiches and handmade natural foods devoid of preservatives.

Pret A Manger has over 600 shops in the UK and internationally, including the US, France, Belgium, Denmark, Dubai, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Qatar, Singapore, and Switzerland. The first Pret Hong Kong store opened in 2002; there are twenty-five locations today.

The company had a robust international presence, but the Hong Kong food and beverage industry was new territory. The company’s reputation for quality food and service propelled the business forward. Still, they wanted to offer a product to help them generate additional revenue while strengthening the brand, so they launched a gift card program. By selecting Givex as the processor, Pret-HK is following in the footsteps of its counterparts in the UK and USA. The two long-standing gift card partners attested to the program’s benefits as an essential component to promote their business, attract new customers, decrease fraud, and boost sales.

Another benefit is that Givex is integrated to hundreds of points of sales, including Oracle Simphony POS, their existing system. Using their equipment allowed them to launch the program faster and save time, money, and resources. Launching the program at new locations will also be seamless and more efficient as the business grows. Givex clients also have access to a secure portal and administration site to manage every facet of the program, from financial reports to running promotions.

The Givex gift card program has far exceeded our expectations. We introduced the in-store gift card program on April 26, 2023, and recouped the initial set-up costs within the first fifteen days of the launch.

To date, we’ve experienced a 500% increase in gift card sales. Givex effectively delivered a scalable solution with proven income potential. We look forward to future business collaboration with them.

Eric Lam, Head of Marketing Asia, Pret A Manger

Pret Manger (Hong Kong) Gift Card sales overview

The Results

Within the first five months of launching the program, Pret-HK saw a 500% increase in gift card sales with an average activation amount of HK$159.00. Gift card revenue surpassed the cost of the program within 15 days of the April 26th launch date. By the eighth month the return of investment [ROI] was 1,416%. The cost revenue ratio for gift card sales and top ups was 0.0706 or 7.06%. Since the cost was a one-time fee, the cost ratio will continue to decrease as the program continues as the revenue will continue to grow.

The numbers were exactly what they needed to see to proceed with additional growth plans. Future implementations with Givex include a digital card program consumer site [B2C] and joining Givex’s distribution network of corporate customers that purchase bulk gift card orders. The additional sales channel will create new revenue opportunities for Pret-HK.