Hotel Chocolat announces 15% revenue increase in trading update

Premium British chocolatier and omni-channel retailer Hotel Chocolat has announced a 15% increase in revenue on last year following a trading update for the 13 weeks ended December 30 2018.

Retail, digital and wholesale channels all achieved growth, the company said in a statement. The business opened 15 new stores during the six months ended December and now has 117 stores in the UK. 

Management expectations

The board expects to announce the group’s results for the six months ended December 31 2018 on February 26 2109, but said trading since December continues to be in line with management’s expectations.

Angus Thirlwell, co-founder and chief executive Officer, said: “This was another strong Christmas for Hotel Chocolat. Our new store openings contributed 5% of the growth in the period, with the balance coming from existing stores, digital and wholesale channels. Our wholesale partnerships were notable successes with strong growth, balancing lower margins with lighter capital investment​.

“Initial customer response to our new location in New York and joint venture store in Tokyo has been very encouraging, demonstrating the global appeal of the Hotel Chocolat brand and its ability to travel overseas​.”