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Pret A Manger to open first shop in India
https://www.whatjobs.com/news/united-kingdom/uk-business-news/pret-a-manger-to-open-first-shop-in-india
By Nagasunder in UK Business News, posted April 23, 2023
Pret A Manger, the UK-based coffee and sandwich company, is set to become the next high-profile Western brand to open an outposts in India.
The company launched its first store in Mumbai, India's financial capital, on Friday, April 21.
Last year, Pret announced a partnership with a unit of Reliance Industries, which is owned by India's richest man, Mukesh Ambani.
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It comes in the same week that Apple, the world's largest technology company, opened its first two stores in the country.
Pret's chief executive Pano Christou said its offering in the country will reflect the company's brand "while also adapting to local preferences and food habits".
It is Reliance Brands' first foray into the country's expanding food and beverage business. The company also owns India's largest retail chain.
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Reliance said their first location is a replica of Pret's UK locations.
The stores will cater to "the new Indian consumer," according to Darshan Mehta, general director of Reliance Brands.
The announcement comes only days after Apple CEO Tim Cook unveiled the company's first retail store in India.
Read More: Pret A Manger to give staff second pay rise despite the cost of living crisis
The store in Mumbai's financial district opened on Tuesday, and a second location in Delhi's capital opened on Thursday.
Pret A Manger, which translates to "ready to eat" in French, was established in London in 1983, with the first store opening the following year.
After the original company went bankrupt, college mates Sinclair Beecham and Julian Metcalfe purchased the trademark and opened their first store in 1986.
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The brand presently has 400 stores in nine areas throughout the world, including the United Kingdom, the United States, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.
Reliance Brands has around 2,000 stores in India.
Reliance Retail, the parent business, signed a franchise agreement with the US-based convenience store operator 7-Eleven in 2021.
The deal helped Reliance's position as India's leading brick-and-mortar retailer.
Source: BBC
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