Hotel Chocolat cost of living cloud

THE boss of Hotel Chocolat said the retailer is cautious about customer sentiment ahead of Easter and Mother’s Day – due to the soaring cost of living.

The premium chocolate business revealed that sales were lower for the past half-year while profitability also fell, blaming lower international and wholesale revenues.

Angus Thirlwell, the company’s cofounder and chief executive officer, hailed recent trading across its stores but he also highlighted continued pressure on consumers. ‘We remain cautious about consumer sentiment over the upcoming seasonal events of Mother’s Day, Easter, Eid and Father’s Day,’ he said.

The firm revealed that total revenues fell to £129.8m for the last six months of 2022, dropping from £142.9m a year earlier. Profits dipped to £10.2m from £25.4m in the same period the previous year.