How many thorntons stores

Retail director Adam Goddard said: "Changing dynamics of the high street, shifting customer behaviour to online, the ongoing impact of Covid and the numerous lockdown restrictions over the last year has meant we have been trading in the most challenging circumstances. Last year, Thorntons reported a 9. Meanwhile, online sales were up 71 per cent. The company was founded by Joseph Thornton in , a travelling confectioner who opened a shop as a base in the steel city of Sheffield.

By half of the shops were closed, a process of attrition that has continued ever since. In recent years though, Thorntons has arguably discovered to its cost that chocolate in Britain is no longer just about chocolate, but more about experience.

Thorntons on the other hand has been struggling with its profitability since the late s. Last week, Thorntons announced plans to become an online-only retailer and permanently close its entire UK store estate of 61 shops, which will affect workers. The chocolate retailer said the Covid pandemic had affected trading, particularly due to lockdown restrictions.

Yet for many retailers, change is inevitable — and always has been prior to Covid But even though the Thorntons name is synonymous with chocolate, the family story behind it is anything but sweet.

However, his career was cut short when, in he was dismissed by his own brothers following years of family disagreements. Besides the family feud, increased competition on the high street from Hotel Chocolat meant Thorntons found itself occupying an uneasy middle ground between premium and mass-market appeal. We have seen a strong growth in Thorntons. Thorntons has long been conflicted on how to position its brand to consumers.

Since its multi-million-pound acquisition deal with Ferrero in , the retailer introduced itself to UK supermarkets as an affordable mid-range option. Catherine Shuttleworth, founder and chief executive of retail agency Savvy, argued that Thorntons failed to invest in its retail business, while Hotel Chocolat stepped into the mid-market for luxury chocolate — which Thorntons once occupied.

The Resilient Retail Club founder Catherine Erdly told Retail Gazette that Thorntons was perceived as less premium over time while Hotel Chocolat managed to maintain its premium positioning.

He said customers wanted to shop with retailers that offer unique, healthy options, utilising alternative sugars to produce the same high-quality product.

Supermarket own brands are a very good at this; you can see this through their development of high-quality Easter eggs over the years. Chris Elliott, head of market insights at ecommerce provider Edge by Ascential, argued that if Thorntons wanted to get ahead, it must show that it can adapt to changing consumer shopping habits by focusing on ecommerce.

Elliot also said Thorntons failed to embrace key partnerships with retailers — especially with the likes of Amazon, Ocado and John Lewis — which Hotel Chocolat has already established. Erdly went on to predict that some bigger retailers with vast store estates may now be re-evaluating their physical retail space following the recent news from Thorntons.

Indeed, as non-essential retail across the UK reopens at different times in the coming weeks — should Covid permit — there may be pent-up demand and a revitalisation of bricks-and-mortar. In addition, the heritage and renown the brand carries could bode well for the confectioner as it turns its focus to ecommerce.

Also in the big brands supermarkets they are now the same price as milktray! Hence look at hotel Chocolat! But this is not what Mr Thornton wanted when he started and build up his business! Reopen the shops again while you have the publicity and start pulling out of the discount stores and supermarkets, as Mr Thornton will be turning in his grave with disappointment. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

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Oaklawn , IL Directions. Rollins Rd. La Fox St. South Elgin , IL Directions. Woodridge , IL Directions. Roselle , IL Directions. You can now download brand maps for all our markets. Be sure to also download our Refreshing Rewards Mobile app to help you find any of our stores while you are on the go! Be sure to download our mobile app! Refreshing Rewards. State IL. CAT Scale. The Thorntons brand will remain on offer in supermarkets and other retailers, while its factory in Alfreton, Derbyshire, will make more chocolate for international markets.

Coronavirus pandemic lockdowns have hit Thorntons particularly hard because they have occurred during its peak times, including Christmas and two consecutive Easters.

The closures will represent the latest departure of a longstanding high-street name.