Thorntons To Close All Shops

[Vaati 11]

Posts have been removed for off-topic. The topic on on Thorntons closing their shops, not cars/council agendas etc.

[mattsin30 10]

It's sad for the employees but things change, evolve and tastes change., Thorntons has been in decline for years.  The way people shop is changing covid is just accelerating it. Alot of the shops are also closing in shopping centres like meadowhall, big shopping centres (malls) have also been in decline for a number of years. It's not road closures or bus gates statistics show pedestrianisation normally increases footall,  people are shopping differently you can get a bigger choice for a cheaper price online this is why alot of brands that have gone into administration their online business is saved. The stores that survive will have some kind of unique selling point eg products or services you can't easily get other places. City centres need to change be different not just full of chains where every high street or shopping centre is the same. They won't even have the amount of office workers to rely on as that industry evolves with more flexible and home working rather than companies having expensive city centre premises. 

[Jeffrey Shaw 90]

Note that:

a. Thorntons will continue to exist as chocolate manufacturers; and

b. franchisees' shops are unaffected- it's just Thorntons' own 61 that are closing.

[Mossway 15]

Yes, I think there are 104 franchisees who will, apparently, continue, certainly for the time being !

[catmiss 12]

On 16/03/2021 at 11:32, Mister M said:

Well, then when it's gone all those people who will no doubt moan about Sheffield City Centre being 'dead' will be able to console themselves that if they shopped online and at Meadowhall, then they were part of the problem.

I, along with several friends in my over 60s age group, hate Meadowhall but have kids who love to shop there for a day out. The pandemic has forced many of us oldies to shop online when we’d much rather go shopping. The city centre has to encourage independent shops and leisure activities appealing to all age groups in order to survive 

[Mister M 1,625]

6 hours ago, catmiss said:

I, along with several friends in my over 60s age group, hate Meadowhall but have kids who love to shop there for a day out. The pandemic has forced many of us oldies to shop online when we’d much rather go shopping. The city centre has to encourage independent shops and leisure activities appealing to all age groups in order to survive 

I would've thought in the last year, that when not in lockdown, and shops were open, most people would not want to be in an enclosed space like Meadowhall. However I have a friend who works in Meadowhall, and said it was ram packed, and many were not observing rules. Pandemic or not, and I've said this on here a few times before, some people refuse to change, no matter what the incentives or disincentives.

With the theme of your post, I hope many people will go to independent shops like Atkinsons to ensure their survival.

[Cycleracer 10]

Times and habit's change and making it hard for cars is just one of the problems why the High Street is dying out.

It is on line buying that has really cut the throat of the Town centre and places like Meadowhall.

The reason I stopped going many years ago now was the parking price's that went up and up and the Council just got greedy and now they are paying the price.

Me personally won't miss the High street that ship sailed for me years ago but there are many jobs at risk and that is the sad side to this.

The pandemic as put the nail in the coffin but it has been going down hill for years, we all need to embrace the new shopping way by technology like it or lump it on line buying is not going away and is going to get even more popular.

You can blame the council for making motorist's life harder to get there, you can blame lack of investment for years as another, you can blame greedy landlords who charge extortionate rents for the premise's, online buying and the pandemic but the fact is I can't see any foreseeable recovery.

[nightrider 13]

On 17/03/2021 at 14:58, mattsin30 said:

It's sad for the employees but things change, evolve and tastes change., Thorntons has been in decline for years.  The way people shop is changing covid is just accelerating it. Alot of the shops are also closing in shopping centres like meadowhall, big shopping centres (malls) have also been in decline for a number of years. It's not road closures or bus gates statistics show pedestrianisation normally increases footall, 

I mostly shopped on foot in the city centre - it was a short walk from my office. Now I work from home its too far. So they will have seen a large drop in footfall in the last year due to this.

 

Also product quality at Thorntons is not competitive with rivals, so anyway I would not buy from them nowadays...

[Mister M 1,625]

1 hour ago, Cycleracer said:

Times and habit's change and making it hard for cars is just one of the problems why the High Street is dying out.

It is on line buying that has really cut the throat of the Town centre and places like Meadowhall.

The reason I stopped going many years ago now was the parking price's that went up and up and the Council just got greedy and now they are paying the price.

Me personally won't miss the High street that ship sailed for me years ago but there are many jobs at risk and that is the sad side to this.

The pandemic as put the nail in the coffin but it has been going down hill for years, we all need to embrace the new shopping way by technology like it or lump it on line buying is not going away and is going to get even more popular.

You can blame the council for making motorist's life harder to get there, you can blame lack of investment for years as another, you can blame greedy landlords who charge extortionate rents for the premise's, online buying and the pandemic but the fact is I can't see any foreseeable recovery.

I was having a walk on Saturday through town, and I noticed that a car park on Plum Street was only charging £1.60 for a full days worth of car parking!

I too don't see any foreseeable recovery until the public realise that their actions, be it shopping online or going to Meadowhall have consequences for the city centre. 

[ECCOnoob 1,040]

On this I disagree. I feel its well beyond the usual moans about business rates and so called lack of free parking.

 

The fact is that Thorntons as a brand is no longer special. It used to be a real treat to go into one of their shops with all its unique chocolates and Toffees but as soon as they started selling it pre-packaged in every supermarket or even some of the discount chains all novelty disappeared. 

 

After all, why would anyone pay £10 or £20 for a box of chocolates when they can get a similar version in the local Tesco for half the price.

 

Add on the evolution of taste and trends with more independent, bespoke and artisan type chocolatiers emerging and this becomes another contributor to their decline.

 

There is simply new competition which, in my opinion, is more prestigious and better quality than what Thorntons were now offering.

 

As with all these things it is sad that there are now more job losses but ultimately another case of a brand relying far too much on it's legacy and failing to future proof and evolve.

 

Edited March 22, 2021 by ECCOnoob

[sadbrewer 20]

As ECCOnoob says above.....rank bad management, the moment they discounted into supermarkets the shops were doomed.

[WeltonJane 10]

No doubt the Thornton's cafes will also be closing leaving Starbucks and Costa to dominate the market.