Hotel Chocolat: Velvetiser and chocolate retailer announces 200 UK jobs and 25 new stores - possible locations

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One of the new stores is set to open just in time for Easter 🍫
  • Hotel Chocolat has reported its best-ever festive season for sales
  • The chocolate retailer plans to open 25 new UK stores and hire 200 additional staff
  • Its largest-ever store will open in Manchester this spring, with more locations expected in key cities
  • Hotel Chocolat is also expanding into the US with two new stores in Chicago ahead of Easter

A beloved sweet treat destination has announced plans to open 25 new stores across the UK and hire an additional 200 staff.

The news comes off the back of Hotel Chocolat’s best-ever Christmas for UK sales, which saw a 10% increase during the 2024 festive season compared to the previous year.

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The chocolate retailer, acquired by Mars last year, has said it plans to launch 25 new outlets, including its "most expansive ever" store in Manchester, set to open this spring.

We’ve reached out to Hotel Chocolat for further information on where these new stores might be, and will update this article as and when more details are shared.

(Photo: Pexels)(Photo: Pexels)
(Photo: Pexels) | Pexels

While the exact locations for the other 24 stores haven't been specified, it's likely that Hotel Chocolat will target high-footfall areas with a blend of luxury appeal and accessibility.

In London, there are already a few locations, but Hotel Chocolat could expand further in popular areas like Covent Garden, Oxford Street, or even trendier neighbourhoods like Shoreditch or Notting Hill.

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Places like Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Bristol, which already have strong shopping districts, could be prime candidates for new store openings, while wealthy towns and cities, like Cambridge, Bath, or Harrogate, might be on the list, given Hotel Chocolat's premium reputation.

Hotel Chocolat also aims to open two new stores as part of its expansion into the US market. These stores - in Chicago -are “being fitted out” in time for the Easter trading period.

Hotel Chocolat opened its first shop in north London in 2004 and has since expanded rapidly, selling its upmarket confectionery online and in-person.

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It sells items from basic chocolate boxes to high-end so-called Velvetisers, devices which whisk chocolate into warm milk. Co-founders Angus Thirlwell and Peter Harris, both netted £144 million from the sale of the retailer to Mars last year.

The deal saw the US confectionery giant pay £534 million for the UK brand, which had previously shut down its five American stores before changing ownership.

Thirlwell, who is still the company’s chief executive, said: “This Christmas was our most successful to date and testament to the dedication of our manufacturing-distributing and retailing teams in particular.

“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.”

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