Thorntons To Close All Shops

[Mister M]

1 hour ago, Cycleracer said:

Times and habit's change and making it hard for cars is just one of the problems why the High Street is dying out.

It is on line buying that has really cut the throat of the Town centre and places like Meadowhall.

The reason I stopped going many years ago now was the parking price's that went up and up and the Council just got greedy and now they are paying the price.

Me personally won't miss the High street that ship sailed for me years ago but there are many jobs at risk and that is the sad side to this.

The pandemic as put the nail in the coffin but it has been going down hill for years, we all need to embrace the new shopping way by technology like it or lump it on line buying is not going away and is going to get even more popular.

You can blame the council for making motorist's life harder to get there, you can blame lack of investment for years as another, you can blame greedy landlords who charge extortionate rents for the premise's, online buying and the pandemic but the fact is I can't see any foreseeable recovery.

I was having a walk on Saturday through town, and I noticed that a car park on Plum Street was only charging £1.60 for a full days worth of car parking!

I too don't see any foreseeable recovery until the public realise that their actions, be it shopping online or going to Meadowhall have consequences for the city centre. 

[ECCOnoob]

On this I disagree. I feel its well beyond the usual moans about business rates and so called lack of free parking.

 

The fact is that Thorntons as a brand is no longer special. It used to be a real treat to go into one of their shops with all its unique chocolates and Toffees but as soon as they started selling it pre-packaged in every supermarket or even some of the discount chains all novelty disappeared. 

 

After all, why would anyone pay £10 or £20 for a box of chocolates when they can get a similar version in the local Tesco for half the price.

 

Add on the evolution of taste and trends with more independent, bespoke and artisan type chocolatiers emerging and this becomes another contributor to their decline.

 

There is simply new competition which, in my opinion, is more prestigious and better quality than what Thorntons were now offering.

 

As with all these things it is sad that there are now more job losses but ultimately another case of a brand relying far too much on it's legacy and failing to future proof and evolve.

 

Edited March 22, 2021 by ECCOnoob

[sadbrewer]

As ECCOnoob says above.....rank bad management, the moment they discounted into supermarkets the shops were doomed.

[WeltonJane]

No doubt the Thornton's cafes will also be closing leaving Starbucks and Costa to dominate the market. 

[ECCOnoob]

41 minutes ago, WeltonJane said:

No doubt the Thornton's cafes will also be closing leaving Starbucks and Costa to dominate the market.

I doubt that Thorntons cafes were ever any sort of threat to the mass market coffee conglomerates.  In fact I can only think of one branch off the top of my head and that was in Scarborough.

 

I would say the more realistic competition to the americanized coffee shops is the rising trend and popularity of bespoke, artisan, hipster independent coffee shops. You only have to look around Sheffield to see how many there are.

 

Even at it's peak, Thorntons cafes really didn't get a look in the challenge either of those two extreme ends of the spectrum

Edited April 1, 2021 by ECCOnoob

[hauxwell]

There was a few Thornton’s cafes in the Newcastle area but I’m sure they are all closed.  The one in the Eldon Square shopping centre Newcastle closed about six years ago, then the shop closed not long after.  

You use to get a free chocolate when you bought a hot drink in the cafe.

 

[alexander874]

19 hours ago, ECCOnoob said:

I doubt that Thorntons cafes were ever any sort of threat to the mass market coffee conglomerates.  In fact I can only think of one branch off the top of my head and that was in Scarborough.

 

I would say the more realistic competition to the americanized coffee shops is the rising trend and popularity of bespoke, artisan, hipster independent coffee shops. You only have to look around Sheffield to see how many there are.

 

Even at it's peak, Thorntons cafes really didn't get a look in the challenge either of those two extreme ends of the spectrum

There's one in the centre of Bakewell.

 

[Elmambo]

Thorntons has, for some time, been owned by Ferrero Rocher, a large international company.  I don't think the concept of small shops fits in with the way the company operates.  I'm guessing that covid has provided the excuse they were looking for to close them down.

 

[Jericho1]

We're fast becoming too dependant on technology and the internet. It's all going to end in tears.

[Jim Hardie]

2 minutes ago, Jericho1 said:

We're fast becoming too dependant on technology and the internet. It's all going to end in tears.

So long as Ferrero can supply their Rochers for the ambassador’s reception, we’ll be right. ‘A sign of good taste.’