Iconic chocolatier and retailer Thorntons is set to focus on its multichannel offering in the coming year, working with parcel delivery services and other companies in an effort to revitalise the brand and change the thrust of its retail strategy, according to its half-year report.

The company is planning to launch its own website over the coming months as it rolls out plans to shut down a number of high street stores and concentrate on a combination of commercial sales to third-party retailers and ecommerce offerings for chocolate lovers across the UK.

This shift in focus comes as the firm announced sales of £130 million for the 28 weeks ended January 7th 2012, a substantial drop of £133.5 million from the same time last year.

Despite these dispiriting results, online sales continued to impress, with ecommerce arm Thornton's Direct enjoying a year-on-year sales boost of 4.6 per cent - rising from £6.4 million to £6.7 million.

Influenced by the success of its online sales and the gradually diminishing returns evident from the bricks-and-mortar operation, Thorntons' chief executive Jonathan Hart said the board have a clear strategy in mind.

"We are pursuing our chosen strategy and have made good progress in implementing it while weathering a difficult market. These results and the economic climate only reaffirm the need for change," said the chief executive.

He added that while he expects the trading environment to remain challenging for the foreseeable future, the company is in place to deliver improved results over 2012 through the key trading seasons of Mothers Day and Easter and further roll out its transformation into a key player in the world of multichannel retailing.

This year marked the centenary of the historic chocolate manufacturer and confectioner, which opened its first shop on the Sheffield high street in 1911 under the direction of Joseph William Thornton.

It commenced its ecommerce operation in 1998 as internet retailing began to take off in the UK and has moved further towards that end of the spectrum in recent years.

Author:  Paul Burn