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 British company that makes delicious chocolate. It is owned by an Italian sweet-making company called Ferrero. Thorntons started way back in 1911. It was founded by William Joseph Thornton and his father, Joseph Thornton, in Sheffield, England.
For a while, Thorntons was the biggest company in Britain that only made sweets. This happened after another big chocolate company, Cadbury, joined a larger food group. In June 2015, the Italian company Ferrero bought Thorntons for £112 million.
Before and during the Second World War, Thorntons was well-known for making toffee and fudge. After the war, when food rules about how much food people could buy ended, the company started focusing more on Belgian and Swiss-style chocolates. These were often sold in special gift sets.
Contents
The Sweet Story of Thorntons Chocolate
How Thorntons Began in 1911
Thorntons started its journey in Sheffield in 1911. The very first shop opened at 159 Norfolk Street. William Joseph Thornton, who founded the company, helped open this shop. 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.
Changes and Challenges for Thorntons Shops
After growing very quickly, Thorntons faced some challenges around 2009. Sales were much higher 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 they needed more staff at busy times and fewer at quieter 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 many of their shops, between 120 and 180 of them.
In June 2015, the famous chocolate maker Ferrero decided to buy Thorntons for £112 million. Ferrero now owns 75% of Thorntons Ltd.
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 their usual chocolates. In 2020, Thorntons even won a Bronze Award at the Lausanne Index Prize.
On March 15, 2021, Thorntons announced that all of its 61 remaining retail stores would close. This happened after the COVID-19 restrictions in the UK. The pandemic meant that Thorntons shops were closed for most of 2020. The company decided to change its business plan. They would now focus on selling chocolates online and through supermarkets. Even though the physical shops were closing, Thorntons saw a 70% increase in sales on their website compared to the year before!
Thorntons Advertising and Fun Facts
Catchy Slogans and Sweet Surprises
Thorntons has used some memorable advertising slogans over the years. These include:
- Chocolate Heaven Since 1911
- It's The Thorntons That Counts
One very special advertisement Thorntons created was an edible billboard. This huge chocolate sign was set up on April 3, 2007, outside their shop in Covent Garden, London. It was more than four metres long and weighed 390 kilograms! The billboard was made of ten chocolate bunnies, seventy-two giant chocolate eggs, and 128 chocolate panels. Each panel weighed 2 kilograms. Amazingly, people ate the entire billboard in just three hours!
This fun promotion helped Thorntons get more customers. It also helped them sell more deluxe chocolate gifts.
See also
