Thorntons High Street Chocolate Shop Finally Closes

Published on: 27 Jul, 2012
Updated on: 29 Jul, 2012

Thorntons chocolate shop at 103 Guildford High Street finally closed this week

Thorntons chocolate shop in Guildford High Street finally closed for business this week after decades of trading in the town. Counter staff said that the reason for the closure was the high cost of rent for the shop. High Street rents in Guildford are believed to be some of the most expensive outside the West End of London.

Following a profit warning and consequent reduction in share value, Thorntons announced in June that they would be closing up to 180 of their shops across the UK out of 364 that they ran directly.

They intended to switch to more franchised outlets, selling through larger retailers and internet sales. The nearest Thorntons store for Guildford customers is now to be found in Woking.

One customer said, “I am surprised. It usually seemed to be busy. It will be a disappointment for regular customers.”

Today (Friday, July 27) activity at the premises indicated that a new tenant might have already been found.

Click her to see also: Bye Bye Thorntons – Is It Just About Chocolate?

Responses to Thorntons High Street Chocolate Shop Finally Closes

Bernard Parke

July 31, 2012 at 3:45 pm

The closed shops in the town centre remind me of decaying teeth. The closures are to be regreted by the people of Guildford who live within t4he confines of the old borough.

However, despite the recession you can understand the reluctance of shoppers to visit these shops caused by the high cost of parking, even for just half an hour.

This week we learn that the borough has declared record profits for town centre parking. Surely help should be given by giving a boost to trade by reducing the hourly parking rate before we see yet more closures.
Roger Marjoribanks

July 31, 2012 at 8:52 pm

I shall miss Thorntons. Being a diabetic I found it about the only local shop where I (and my family at Christmas!) could buy decent quality diabetic chocolates. The High Street is beginning to remind me of “The Restaurant at the End of the Universe”, where Douglas Adams suggested that the first sign of the death of a planet was that shoe shops took over the city streets. Seriously, a crippling factor to our businesses is the business rate; it’s not surprising that, in combination with high rents, it is driving out the smaller businesses.