Thorntons facts for kids
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Thorntons shop in Banbury, pictured in 2008
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| Limited company | |
| Founded | 1911) in Sheffield, England |
| Founder | William Joseph Thornton |
| Headquarters | Alfreton, Derbyshire, England |
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Number of locations
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 0 (all closed after Covid lockdowns in 2021) |
| Products | Bonbons, chocolate bars, toffees, fudges |
| Revenue | £135 million (2018) |
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Operating income
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– £38.3 million (2018) |
| – £22.9 million (2018) |
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Number of employees
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2,634 |
| Parent | Ferrero |
Thorntons Limited is a famous British company that makes delicious chocolates. It's now owned by an Italian company called Ferrero, which also makes lots of yummy treats. Thorntons started way back in 1911 in Sheffield, England. It was founded by William Joseph Thornton and his father, Joseph Thornton.
For a long time, Thorntons was the biggest chocolate company in Britain that only made sweets. This was especially true after another big chocolate maker, Cadbury, joined a larger food group. In June 2015, Ferrero bought Thorntons for about £112 million.
Before and during the Second World War, Thorntons was well-known for its toffee and fudge. After the war, when food rules ended, the company started focusing more on fancy Belgian and Swiss-style chocolates. These often came in special gift boxes.
Contents
The Story of Thorntons
How Thorntons Began
Thorntons opened its first shop in Sheffield in 1911. William Joseph Thornton, who started the business, opened this shop at 159 Norfolk Street. His son, William Norman Hinsby Thornton, became the manager when he was only 15 years old. Later, Peter Thornton, who was the founder's grandson, became the chairman of the company. However, he left this role in June 1987.
Changes and Challenges (2009-Present)
After growing quickly, Thorntons faced some challenges. In 2009, their sales went up to £214.8 million, but their profit went down. One big reason for this was that people bought most of their chocolates only at certain times of the year. For example, 35% of their sales happened in the seven weeks before Christmas. Another 10% of sales happened just before Easter Sunday.
This meant that Thorntons needed many temporary staff members during busy times. Jonathon Hart became the new boss, or chief executive officer, in January 2011. After looking closely at the business, Thorntons announced in June 2011 that they would close between 120 and 180 of their shops.
In June 2015, the Italian chocolate company Ferrero bought Thorntons for £112 million. Ferrero now owns most of Thorntons.
Ferrero invested money into Thorntons to help it grow. Between 2017 and 2018, sales and production increased. Instead of opening many new shops, some existing Thorntons stores became cafés. These cafés sold food and drinks to eat in or take away, along with the usual chocolates. In 2020, Thorntons even won a Bronze Award at the Lausanne Index Prize.
On March 15, 2021, Thorntons announced a big change. All 61 of their remaining shops would close after the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions ended in the UK. The pandemic had forced their shops to close for much of 2020. Because of this, Thorntons decided to focus on selling chocolates online and through supermarkets. Even though the physical shops closed, the company shared that their online sales had gone up by 70% compared to the year before.
Fun Facts and Advertising
Thorntons has had some memorable advertising slogans over the years. Two of their main ones are:
- Chocolate Heaven Since 1911
- It's The Thorntons That Counts
In a very cool event on April 3, 2007, Thorntons created a special edible billboard! This huge chocolate sign was over four meters long and weighed 390 kilograms. It was put up outside their shop in Covent Garden, London. People ate the entire billboard in just three hours! It was made with ten chocolate bunnies, seventy-two giant chocolate eggs, and 128 chocolate panels, each weighing two kilograms.
This fun promotion helped Thorntons get more customers. It also helped them after a time when sales were not as good, especially during the summer of 2006.
See also
