How Pret A Manger brews loyalty through smart app design (and what’s missing)

The article examines Pret A Manger's app strategy, highlighting strengths in loyalty via QR codes that provide friction-free rewards and transparent progress display, and in permission marketing that uses custom opt-in flows timed after value demonstration, resulting in higher ATT opt-in rates and better attribution data quality. However, it points out a critical gap: lack of click-and-collect ordering, which competitors like Starbucks and Caffè Nero have made central to their apps, creating a daily habit and measurable omnichannel touchpoints. Without order-ahead, Pret misses opportunities to convert app engagement into offline revenue attribution and to build indispensable utility.

Actionable takeaways for ad ops decision-makers include: (1) leveraging clear value propositions before requesting permissions to improve data quality; (2) implementing order-ahead to close the attribution loop between digital and physical purchases; and (3) using smart deep linking to reduce abandonment across channels. The article emphasizes that measuring how app features drive in-store behavior is crucial for optimizing ROI.