Hotel Chocolat Group has revealed that its’ revenues grew to £142.9 million for the 26 weeks ended 26 December 2021, a 40 per cent year on year increase. This came from strong sales growth reflecting the brand’s appeal in the UK, US and Japan. In the UK its active customer database was up by 38 per cent to reach 2.3 million, with rises in the US and Japan of 119 per cent and 131 per cent respectively.
Angus Thirlwell, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Hotel Chocolat, said: “I am delighted that we have achieved a great set of results both in terms of sales and profits, indicating the global strength of the Hotel Chocolat brand and our direct-to-consumer business model. These results enable continued new job creation based in our British manufacturing operations, as well as roles in technology and multichannel retailing.
“In the UK, we continued to entice many new customers to Hotel Chocolat, growing our active customer database by 38 per cent to 2.3m. Our unparalleled pipeline of new product launches means I am confident we will be able to excite and retain their custom for many years ahead. In the US, our digital model drove an increase of 119 per cent in our active customer database, with our Velvetiser in-home drinks system proving a great hit, and in Japan, our customer database grew strongly, with the JV business now truly multichannel, across online, digital partners, and 31 stores.
“A key personal highlight in the period took place in Ghana, where we launched our pioneering Gentle Farming programme, meeting with farming families, local community groups, and the government. Our programme funds an achievable decent living income, hand-in-hand with replanting indigenous trees to shade the cacao and regenerate biodiversity.
“The last two years have been a period of very significant change both globally and within the business as we have evolved from a UK store-led brand to a globally ambitious digital-led brand with a broad range of luxury cacao products. The team has successfully managed to adapt to the continuously changing landscape and we have remained focused on our opportunities, delivering a sustained acceleration in growth over the last 18 months.
“Since the end of the financial reporting period, trading has continued to be in line with the Board’s expectations. The multichannel performance of the UK remains encouraging, and the new markets continue to show promising potential for growth and profitability.
“A focus on bringing happiness through chocolate in every aspect of our business model will further strengthen and nurture the appeal of our brand, helping us achieve our goal of becoming the leading global direct-to-consumer premium chocolate brand.”
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