Due to a surge in online sales during the coronavirus lockdown, Hotel Chocolat are to employ 200 jobs in their chocolate making factory and distribution site.
The company said that customer have switched to online shopping during the lockdown which has helped the chocolatier mitigate the impact of having to close their stores.
Digital sales in the company are up by over 200% with growth in the quarter to 30 June, whilst sales subscriptions soared by 47% in the same quarter.
Hotel Chocolat has said 119 stores out of 125 have now reopened after the easing of the lockdown measures, and their factory in Cambridgeshire reopened in May, which has been adapted to meet Covid health and safety measures.
Angus Thirlwell, co-founder and chief executive officer, said: “I’ve been hugely impressed by how our team have responded, culturally, professionally and ethically during the pandemic.
“The acceleration of change in the retail landscape has galvanised us to speed up our plans and investments in the opportunities we were already pursuing.
“Online, our brand is now set to a significantly faster growth trajectory, delivering gifts, subscriptions and household indulgence.
“Some of this is attributable to Covid-accelerated change, but new concept launches, and digital enhancements have also supported growth.”
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