Content area
Full Text
Thorntons' new-look store on Birmingham's High Street is trading well, but is it enough to turn things around? John Ryan reports.
There was a point, not so very long ago, when the name Thorntons actually meant a chocolate seller that had a limited presence on the high street and which was about treating yourself, or those close to you, to something a little special.
Then things seemed to go awry. The retail brand ballooned and suddenly there was a branch on every corner, ranging in size from little more than kiosks to small shops groaning under the weight of cut-price chocolates.
The outcome was that a brand that had been a destination rapidly became remarkable for its ubiquity and the notion of it being special came under pressure. At the same time, a rival, in the shape of Hotel Chocolat, began to make its appearance in a substantial number of locations where Thorntons operated. All of which has meant a decline for the brand with a store closure programme being instituted in 2011, which had already resulted in the disappearance of 20 stores in the six-month period to January 7.
This may go some way towards dealing with the structural problems that beset the retailer. But as well as closing stores, there is also the matter of enticing more shoppers through the doors of those branches that remain when up to 180 stores have finally been returned to landlords.Sweet spot
With this in mind, Thorntons has a new format that it has kept relatively quiet about. This one's in Birmingham and it's actually been trading since November. And in spite of its prominent position midway along the High Street and a stone's throw from both the Pavilions shopping centre and the Bullring, few have commented on it. This may be something to do with the fact that the last time Thorntons went for a new look...