thorntons

{{About|the chocolate company|other uses|Thornton (disambiguation)}}

{{Infobox company

| name = Thorntons Ltd.

| logo = Thorntons company logo.svg

| logo_size = 200

| image = Thorntonsbanbury.jpg

| image_size =

| image_caption = Thorntons shop in Banbury, pictured in 2008

| type = Limited company

| fate =

| traded_as =

| foundation = {{Start date and age|1911|df=yes}}) in Sheffield, England

| founder = William Joseph Thornton

| location = Alfreton, Derbyshire, England

| locations = {{decrease}} 0 (all closed after Covid lockdowns in 2021){{refn|(all retail stores closed in 2021)|group=note|name=plus}}

| revenue = {{decrease}} £135 million (2018)

| operating_income = {{decrease}} – £38.3 million (2018)

| net_income = {{decrease}} – £22.9 million (2018)

| num_employees = {{decrease}} 2,634

| products = Bonbons, chocolate bars, toffees, fudges

| owner =

| parent = Ferrero{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-56407155|title=Thorntons: Chocolate maker to close all shops putting 600 jobs at risk|work = BBC News|date = 15 March 2021}}

| subsid =

| brands =

| homepage = {{URL|https://www.thorntons.com/|thorntons.com}}

}}

Thorntons Limited is a British chocolate manufacturer owned by the Italian confectionery company, Ferrero. It was established in 1911 by William Joseph Thornton and Joseph Thornton, his father, in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England.

When Cadbury became part of the Mondelez International predecessor Kraft Foods, Thorntons had become the largest confectionery-only parent company in Britain. The company was purchased by the Italian firm Ferrero in June 2015 for £112{{abbreviation|m|million}}.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/jun/22/thorntons-bought-by-ferrero-rocher-for-112m-pounds|title=Thorntons bought by Ferrero for £112m|author=Sarah Butler|work=The Guardian|date=22 June 2015}}

Until and during the Second World War, the company was an established toffee and fudge maker. With post war rationing ending, the group's primary focus shifted to Belgian and Swiss-style chocolate in sets.A minority of sales is in novelties, decoration and café outlet remittances.[https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/00174706/filing-history/MzIzNzAxMzc3MmFkaXF6a2N4/document?format=pdf&download=0 Full accounts made up to the 31st August 2018] Thorntons Ltd Annual Report 2018|Companies House. Retrieved 16 May 2020Clark, Andrew (7 May 2011). [https://www.theguardian.com/business/2011/may/08/thorntons-chocolate-brand-goes-stale "Thorntons: why the chocolate-maker has gone into meltdown"]. The Observer. The Guardian (theguardian.com). Retrieved 11 July 2015.

History

=The Thornton family=

Thorntons began in Sheffield in 1911, the business being started by William Joseph Thornton (1870–1919), who co opened the company's first shop, at 159 Norfolk Street. William Norman Hinsby Thornton (1896–1984), his son, became the manager, at the age of just 15. Later in the company's history, Peter Thornton (grandson of the founder) served as chairman, but was dismissed from the role in June 1987.{{Cite web|url=http://tomahawkpress.com/thorntons-my-life-in-the-family-business/|title=Thorntons – My Life in the Family Business|website=tomahawkpress.com|language=en-US|access-date=2017-08-17}}

=2009–present – trading difficulties=

After rapid expansion, the results of 2009 showed turnover increasing to £214.8 million, but operating profit decreasing to £7.94 million. A perennial seasonality in sales disappointed strategists and employees.{{Citation needed|date=June 2022}} 35% of the sales were in the seven week period before Christmas, and 10%, shortly before Easter Sunday.{{Citation needed|date=June 2022}}

{{multiple image

|align = left

|total_width =400

|image1 = Thorntons Tram Shelter.jpg

|caption1 = Former branch in a decorative tram shelter in Portsmouth

|image2 = Thorntons, High Street, Sutton, Surrey, Greater London.jpg

|caption2 = A Thorntons shop in London in 2015

}}

The scale of impact of this, on manufacturing and service, are more pronounced than the average in the food sector, necessitating temporary staffing. Jonathon Hart joined the business, as chief executive officer, in January 2011. Following another resultant strategic review, in June 2011, Thorntons announced it would close between 120 and 180, of its shops.{{cite web |last1=Danaher |first1=Tim |title=Thorntons to slash number of company-owned stores |url=http://www.retail-week.com/sectors/food/thorntons-to-slash-number-of-company-owned-stores/5026697.article |website=Retail Week |access-date=21 June 2022 |language=en |date=28 June 2011}}{{cite web |title=Thorntons PLC: Strategy Review |url=http://www.investegate.co.uk/Article.aspx?id=201106280700122181J |website=Investegate |access-date=21 June 2022 |date=28 June 2011}}

It was announced in June 2015 that chocolate producer Ferrero would buy Thorntons, for £112 million.

{{cite news |last1=Farrell|first1=Sean|title=Thorntons bought by Ferrero for £112m|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/jun/22/thorntons-bought-by-ferrero-rocher-for-112m-pounds|access-date=22 June 2015 |newspaper=The Guardian|date=22 June 2015}} Thorntons Ltd are 75% owned by Ferholding UK Ltd, which, in turn, is controlled by Giovanni Ferrero (who holds over 50% of voting rights).{{citation needed|date=July 2020}}

With Ferrero investment into the business to try to increase revenue, through the financial year of 2017 to 2018 sales and production increased. Fewer new shops were opened with some existing locations diversified into cafés, selling a range of both eat-in and take-away food and drinks alongside the traditional confectionary lines. In 2020, Thorntons won the Lausanne Index Prize - Bronze Award.{{cite web|title=2020 L.I.P. Bronze Award - Thorntons|url=https://www.li-p.org/merit/en/thorntons-caramel-truffle-chocolate-bar|access-date=24 February 2021|archive-date=14 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114170801/https://www.li-p.org/merit/en/thorntons-caramel-truffle-chocolate-bar|url-status=dead}}

On 15 March 2021, it was announced that all 61 remaining Thorntons retail stores were to close after UK government COVID-19 pandemic restrictions lifted.{{Cite web|last=Wilson|first=Charlie|date=2021-03-15|title=Live as historic Thorntons is set to close all UK stores|url=https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/news/local-news/thorntons-stores-closing-live-reaction-20165647|access-date=2021-03-15|website=YorkshireLive|language=en}} The pandemic restrictions had meant that all Thorntons retail stores had closed for much of 2020, and the business was now going to restructure in order to move sales both online and to focus retailing on supermarket distribution channels. While announcing that the physical Thorntons stores would close, the company stated that it had seen a 70% increase in sales through the business website compared to the previous year.{{Cite news|date=2021-03-15|title=Thorntons: Chocolate maker to close all shops putting 600 jobs at risk|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/business-56407155|access-date=2021-03-15}}

Publicity

The current, main advertising slogans are:

File:Thorntonscat.jpg

Chocolate Heaven Since 1911 {{Cite web|url=http://www.chocolateuniversityonline.com/chocolate-heaven-since-1911/|title=Chocolate Heaven Since 1911|date=2 September 2011|access-date=17 August 2017}}
It's The Thorntons That Counts {{Cite web|url=http://www.melliuk.com/thorntons.html|title=Bringing sweet news to Thorntons|access-date=17 August 2017}}

Thorntons set up a very rare edible billboard, on 3 April 2007, which exceeded four metres length; {{cvt|14.5|by|9.5|ft}} and {{cvt|390|kg}} – it was framed outside their shop in Covent Garden, London, and was eaten, within the space of just three hours.{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6522643.stm |title=Shoppers eat chocolate billboard |website=BBC News |date=3 April 2007 |access-date=14 May 2019}} The structure included ten chocolate bunnies, seventy two giant chocolate eggs, and 128 chocolate panels, each weighing {{cvt|2|kg}}.

The promotion sought to regain custom lost to competition and a move away from deluxe chocolate gifts, as well as poor sales over the summer of 2006.

Notes

References

{{reflist|refs=

[https://www.thorntons.com] Thorntons plc. Retrieved 16 May 2020

}}

;Citations

The Strategy Report of Thorntons plc, Birmingham Business School, 2007 {{full citation needed|date=July 2015}}
Thorntons, My Life in the Family Business by Peter Thornton, Published by Tomahawk Press, October 2009 {{ISBN|978-0-9557670-3-6}} www.tomahawkpress.com