British chocolate maker and retailer Thorntons has announced that
its chairman Christopher Burnett is considering making a buyout
offer to the company.
British confectionery manufacturer and retailer Thorntons suffered
along with most of the UK's retail sector over the Christmas
period, but its first half results were buoyed by an otherwise
solid performance from products sold...
A groundbreaking £8 million initiative to stimulate innovative
packaging design and at the same time significantly reduce food and
packaging waste has been launched in the UK.
Patchi, a London-based company producing popular Middle Eastern
confectioneries such as baklava and mamoul, is keen to spread its
gospel of quality to the rest of Europe. But while France is its
first export destination, the company...
Zahor, Spain's biggest own label confectionery producer, is hoping
for strong growth this year following its merger with cocoa
processor Natra Cacao. Access to cheaper raw materials and more
R&D capacity following the deal...
Thorntons, the UK confectioner, has retuned to profit growth for
the first time in five years in fiscal 2004, but warned that
further measures to improve the company's finances would entail
more costs in the coming year, reports...
Convenience stores and hypermarkets - formats at opposite ends of
the retail spectrum - will be the main drivers of growth in the
British food retail market over the next five years, according to
grocery think tank IGD. The UK market...
UK meat processor ABP, packaging firm Cryovac and supermarket chain
Sainsbury's have launched a new range of meat packs under the high
quality "Taste the Difference" range. The idea is to offer
consumers with a new...
The dominance of the multiple retailers in the UK has had a
devastating effect on the specialist retail sector there, with the
massive buying power of the major chains allowing them to undercut
independent operators at the same time...
Haribo Dunhills, part of Europe's leading confectionery group,
German-based Haribo, is aiming to boost countline sales of bagged
confectionery in the UK with the launch of four new lines which for
the start of the new year.
Selling its popular confectionery products through other retail
channels and diversifying into other product segments has helped
UK-based Thorntons to increase its sales over the last 12 months.
German chocolate sales grew by 3.6 per cent in the first five
months of 2003 as retailers ended their price war and returned to
more normal prices. But volumes rose by less than 1 per cent, and
the exceptionally hot weather in June...
Ahold has sold its Jamin confectionery retail unit via an MBO as
part of its strategic recovery plan. And UK press reports suggest
it is also considering offloading the US Foodservice arm at the
centre of a €750m fraud investigation.
Confectionery and biscuit manufacturer Swiss Delice is planning to
expand into the UK this Autumn. The Swiss-based firm believes that
the UK market presents a major opportunity.
Exceptionally hot weather in the last week before Easter meant that
like-for-like sales at UK confectionery maker and retailer
Thorntons dropped by 7 per cent.
The US arm of confectioner Perfetti Van Melle has launched new
packaging for its Mentos mints product. The company believes that
its new Mentos Box will offer the consumer better value and will be
easier to use.
Christmas sales fell compared to the particularly strong
performance in the previous year, but UK chocolate manufacturer and
retailer Thorntons said it was happy with its overall performance
in the first half of 2002/03.
Thorntons, the UK chocolate maker and retailer, has continued to
post good like-for-like sales growth in the first four months of
the financial year, but Christmas will be the key test of its
business plan.
