Thorntons has booked a drop in third-quarter sales as store closures and a difficult trading environment dented the chocolate group’s result.

Total sales in the three months to 28 April fell 2.7% to GBP62.4m (US$101m), the group revealed today (3 May).

During the period, Thorntons closed 11 of its company-owned shops as part of its store-closure programme.

The company sells chocolate through its own retail outlets, franchised branded shops and supermarkets. It announced last June that it plans to close 180 outlets over the next three years in order to increase its focus on selling chocolate products through the retail multiples.

Excluding store closures, Thorntons said sales were broadly flat. The group witnessed a 1.6% drop in like-for-like sales at its own stores, while franchise stores sale sales gain 12.6%,

Despite a “good” Easter, CEO Jonathan Hart said that the “difficult consumer environment continues”.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

“We continue to focus on restoring profitability and we are seeing early signs of progress resulting in an overall satisfactory trading performance,” he commented. 

Click here for the full release.