A century of window shopping delicious treats and beautiful chocolate gifts is coming to an end: after 110 proud years, Thorntons is closing all of its stores permanently.
It’s another sad announcement brought on by the economic effects of the pandemic: Thorntons is closing all of its 61 stores for good, putting more than 600 jobs at risk. In an official company statement, Thorntons shared the difficulty of operating during the past year’s demanding circumstances: “Unfortunately like many other retailers, the obstacles we have faced and will continue to face on the high street are too severe. Despite our best efforts we have taken the difficult decision to go into full consultation to start the permanent closure of our retail store estate. We understand that this will be an uncertain and concerning time for our colleagues and we will actively support them during this period.” (Featured image: Shutterstock, James Copeland)
The stores’ closure is certainly not the news we’ve been hoping for, but there’s a silver lining: As online shopping has grown more popular, the chocolatier will continue to sell their products on their website, and is working to make them more widely available in partnering grocery stores.
We’re relieved that the holidays (or, honestly, any other day), can still be made sweeter with a lovely box of Thorntons. And luckily, you can still get your chocolate fix at any of these lovely Birmingham cafés when they reopen.