Launching in Debenhams Basingstoke and Portsmouth, the collaboration will see EAT serve its full range of hot and cold food and drink items, including pies, wok pots, soups, salads and sandwiches, with a view to “roll out across more (of) Debenhams’s (175) shops over the next few years.”
Sitting alongside Compass’s own brands and other partners, EAT further enhances its “balanced and nutritional food-to-go” offering, with marketing director, Louise Pilkington, commenting: “We’re thrilled to be extending our brand portfolio with such a well-respected national name as EAT Our shared focus on providing customers with great tasting, seasonal food makes us an ideal match, and will ensure we’re perfectly placed to adapt to the rapidly growing grab-and-go market.
“Our insights tell us food-to-go is what our customers increasingly look for, but they’re not prepared to compromise on taste and quality, so we’re confident working with EAT is giving our consumers more of what they want.”
Andy Rees, managing director for Instore, added: “This new brand partner is perfectly placed within our Debenhams contract and will deliver a fantastic range of good quality food and beverages to our customers. We’re delighted to be bringing the EAT brand into our business’s offer.”
Head of external business at Debenhams, Sam Shutt, agreed: “Our partnership with Compass’s Instore business gives us the opportunity to maximise our customers’s shopping experience by offering a range of quality food and drink. We know our customers will love the EAT brand and we’re looking forward to seeing it in two of our stores later this year.”