Episode one of The Marketing Hustle served up a proper marketing debate, and Lottie's claim stuck with us: "I'm the diehard Pret girl…and I don't want American drinks in my Pret!"
Great gut reaction. Also a very testable one. The whole take rests on an assumption: that the people who love Pret most will be the most protective of it. So we ran a Stickybeak test and asked 200 people who visit Pret at least once a week what they make of the brand stocking Poppi. The exact crowd Lottie was speaking for.
Poppi is the US soda that’s been living rent-free in your feed. Texas kitchen, Shark Tank, apple cider vinegar, bright cans, Super Bowl ads, and a $1.95bn exit to PepsiCo in 2025. Low sugar, low calorie, big personality. In March 2026 it made its first move outside the US and landed in Tesco and, more provocatively, Pret a Manger. An unapologetically American cult soda, dropped into Britain’s most familiar lunch spot. No wonder a podcast picked a fight.
It’s a landslide. They're into it. 83% of the 200 weekly Pret shoppers feel positive about the partnership. 16% were neutral. Just 1% felt it doesn't belong. And more than three in four (77%) said it makes them more likely to visit. Not a single person who felt positive said they'd come less often.
Here's the bit we love. We asked whether stocking Poppi shifts how Pret feels on multiple fronts, and every one moved in Pret's favour. Respondents felt that stocking Poppi actually reinforced Pret's own identity (81%), made it more of a premium food destination (80%), somewhere they'd pick over other high-street options (78%) and more health-focused (76%).
The "why" backs it up. Barely anyone mentioned America. They talked quality and health: "it looks premium and made with good quality," "a healthier drink option," "something new and interesting, I'd defo want to try it." “I tend to find the brand even more appealing with this new product.”
The debate assumed Pret's most loyal fans would be its most protective. The actual consumers say the opposite. Loyalty to Pret doesn't mean wanting it frozen in time. The diehards are the ones most up for the change.
200 weekly Pret shoppers. Real feedback in hours, not weeks. That's having a Stickybeak.
