Hotel Chocolat hailed its best-ever UK Christmas sales, as it gears up for its latest attempt to crack the US under new owner Mars.
The premium chocolatier’s total year-on-year sales grew 10.4% overall in the four weeks to 29 December, a “record”, the business said. Hospitality sales at its UK Velvetiser cafés were up 33% year on year.
Although Hotel Chocolat did not disclose volume figures, founder and now global CEO Angus Thirlwell hailed the “positive” sales as its “most successful to date”.
The sales figures come as the business prepares to open its first new stores in the US, since it shuttered its physical presence in July 2022 after supply struggles and financial difficulties led to the closure of its four previous stores.
Despite its reputation as somewhat of a UK high street darling, the brand has struggled to find its wings overseas, with the closure of its US stores also coinciding with its Japanese operation being placed into civil rehabilitation.
When Mars acquired Hotel Chocolat for £534m in November 2023, Thirlwell credited the opportunity for international expansion as a major part of the deal.
Thirlwell first confirmed the business would look to enter the US to The Times in December, highlighting that the two new stores set to open in Chicago this spring could be the first of a “double-digit” pipeline by 2026.
Hotel Chocolat would also continue to expand its e-commerce presence in America, since opening a small DTC operation last year. Its Velvetiser hot chocolate machine was now present in more than 100,000 US homes.
“We are excited to be opening right in the heart of Chicago and bringing the Hotel Chocolat experience to the city,” Thirlwell said in the latest results.
“These initial stores are being fitted out as we speak. Our US store opening plan will combine with our existing digital channel to tell our brand story and underpin what makes us different,” added Thirlwell.
“It’s fascinating to see what our US Velvetiser-owning families went for compared to the UK families: in the US Mint 70% Dark and Maple Pecan hot chocolates were top performers, whereas for the UK Mince Pie and Salted Caramel & Clementine over-indexed,” he added.
The US expansion comes alongside 25 new Hotel Chocolat stores proposed to open in the UK over the next year. It includes a two-storey, 6,000 sq ft store in Manchester ahead of Easter – its “most expansive ever”.
Thirlwell claimed the strong growth was “testament to the dedication” of the retail, manufacturing and distribution teams.
“Despite consumers continuing to feel the pinch, they went for quality this Christmas and we posted strong sales across our accessible price points from the £5.95 Chocolate-filled Table Cracker right up to our £200 Velvetiser Experience Hamper,” Thirlwell said.
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