What Happened to Thorntons? The Chocolate Giant That Destroyed Its Own Shops

Thorntons was once one of Britain's most loved chocolate shops, with hundreds of stores across the UK. So why did every single shop disappear? From its beginnings in Sheffield in 1911 to its £112 million takeover by Ferrero and the closure of its final 61 stores in 2021, we investigate how supermarket expansion, changing shopping habits and the loss of exclusivity transformed an iconic British brand. This is the story of how Thorntons chocolate survived, but the shops that made it special disappeared.