Hotel Chocolat is set to ensure new stores are far larger than older ones, install cafes and offer up samples from their hot chocolate machines. Chief executive Angus Thirlwell said sales of its Velvetiser were strong and he wanted to find new ways to ensure customers can test and buy them.
Four stores were expanded in the last six months with cafes and more floor space could be added and two new sites opened. Around 50 Hotel Chocolat stores already have cafes. A further two sites will open in the next few months, he added.
Mr Thirlwell said: “We’re going to be showcasing a Hotel Chocolat ‘store of the future’ look. We upgraded several locations and we saw a shape of the future for stores which is basically to go for larger spaces and that’s a reflection of the shape of the business changing.
