Thornton's Luxury hot Chocolate Powder 1.6kg (1.6)

Product Information

Another chocolate industry source believes Ferrero “are awesome at making good quality products, very, very efficiently. But Thorntons is a confectioner; you need a breadth of range not just chocolate boxes. Ferrero didn’t understand the brand or why people fell in love with it. It is not just a high-volume fmcg game. Variety is key to specialist retail and destination shopping.” The newest convert, opened in Belfast in March, saw an immediate 244% sales uplift – before the pandemic forced the business to shut all its stores. What’s more, it has been slow to react to changes and failed to embrace big trends such as dark milk and vegan, leaving rivals to occupy those grounds. Hotel Chocolat’s partnership with Waitrose marks an extension of its existing relationship with the John Lewis Partnership. Thirlwell explained that the partnership was not just about “shoving a box of Hotel Chocolat’s products on a shelf next to Thorntons and Cadbury’s”, but rather about “carving out zones where it can have a bit of air and light around it”.

Thorntons Luxury Hot Chocolate Powder Sachets - 50x21g

The supermarket tie-up has lots of similarities to fellow chocolatier Thorntons’ venture into grocery partnerships.Suzi Bentley-Tanner, strategy director at creative agency Engine Transformation, argued that Thorntons diluted its positioning as a premium confectioner when it became available on many supermarket shelves, and ultimately became a mass product. Of course, you will need more than tasty chocolate bombs to become a viral success, but having access to the best chocolate bombs is always a good start. The Waitrose partnership has been carefully considered rather than rushed. I’ve built the brand so I’m most protective about it and failure isn’t going to happen on my watch,” he said. Hotel Chocolat’s partnership with Waitrose is an extension of its relationship with the John Lewis Partnership. The whole family can enjoy these wondrous spheres and represents the perfect beverage for a wintry Christmas Day. What is more, the whole family can gather around and witness the magical results of these viral sensations. But a chocolate industry source believes “there hasn’t been enough urgency to get non-Thorntons products running through the facility as more retail stores close and volume continues to fall.”

Thorntons Nano Hot Chocolate - eXpresso Plus Thorntons Nano Hot Chocolate - eXpresso Plus

Yet despite the challenges, and the seemingly sluggish progress, only a fool would bet against Ferrero. It has a long-term strategy and, crucially, the cash to make Thorntons a success again. Made with real Thornton’s chocolate, this hot chocolate drink is everything you wish for in a hot chocolate.Arguably, Thorntons’ offerings in supermarkets gave it a run-of-the-mill effect with its products being readily available. Although its products appeared mass market, its prices still suggested a premium product. Waitrose also tends to have more affluent shoppers which are well suited to Hotel Chocolat’s offering,” he said. Once you scratch beneath the surface, he adds, a lot has changed, especially in the way the product is produced and the quality of the chocolate. Indeed, Thorntons has failed to hit PHE reduction targets, with its Classic box containing 54g of sugar per 100g – a long way short of the 20% reduction guideline of 43.7g of sugar per 100g, and even outside the 5% reduction to 51.9g.