Easter chocolate meltdown at Thorntons

Chocolate manufacturer Thorntons blames the recent warm weather in the UK for its second profit warning of 2011. Chocolate sales fell by over a fifth during Easter week, compared with a year ago.

The disappointing results for the chocolatier has come four months after the company blamed extreme snowfall in December for a poor Christmas performance. “We have been faced with unprecedented weather conditions during our two key trading periods,” says Thorntons’ chief executive Jonathan Hart.

Like-for-like sales at Thorntons’ own stores fell by 12.6% over the last 16 weeks, while trading at its franchises slumped by more than a fifth. Other sales – mainly through supermarkets – were much stronger and rose by 25%, but these commercial sales make up less than a third of Thorntons’ total turnover.

“The past quarter has been extremely challenging particularly in our own stores and for franchisees and we foresee the prospect of this weakness in high street footfall and spending continuing,” adds Hart.