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Hotel Chocolat has announced it has seen strong festive retail figures, amid a disappointing period for many on the high street.
The luxury chocolatier said it had seen a 15% revenue rise year-on-year over the 13 weeks to 30 December. Despite Hotel Chocolat’s positive figures, British consumers cut back on festive spending in the three months to December for the first time since last spring, according to Visa’s UK Consumer Spending Index.
Hotel Chocolat said it had seen sales growth in retail, digital and wholesale markets, with trading in the new year said to be continuing in line with the management’s expectations. The chocolatier operates 117 UK stores and a handful of overseas outlets.
Co-founder and CEO, Angus Thirlwell, said: “Our new store openings (15 in the second half of 2018) contributed 5% of the growth in the period, with the balance coming from existing stores, digital and wholesale channels.”
The CEO identified the “Velvetiser in-home hot chocolate system” and new Chocolat Cream Liqueur as among its best sellers for the period. Last year the chain opened new stores in New York and Tokyo and also added new Danish stores. Hotel Chocolat said the consumer reaction to new stores was “very encouraging”.
