Hotel Chocolat - Channel 5 Now



love the dark salted caramels they do

also been for a meal at their restaurant in Borough Market...an interesting menu

I'm guessing that they have a chocolate/cocoa theme running through the menu?

The store's always good for quality Christmas filler presents and thank you gifts. The one in Cambridge seems to do well, always busy when I pass. Think they also have stands in John Lewis.
 
I'm guessing that they have a chocolate/cocoa theme running through the menu?

The store's always good for quality Christmas filler presents and thank you gifts. The one in Cambridge seems to do well, always busy when I pass. Think they also have stands in John Lewis.
The salted caramel centres are really good
 
The salted caramel centres are really good
they are like...I thinks its becasue they are quite liquid..so you bite into the bitter chocolate and you just get thet sweet,salty liquid caramel...they are a real treat..we get 3 of the little blister packs they come in and devour the lot in about ten minutes, its like feeding time at the the Tasmanian devils
 
they are like...I thinks its becasue they are quite liquid..so you bite into the bitter chocolate and you just get thet sweet,salty liquid caramel...they are a real treat..we get 3 of the little blister packs they come in and devour the lot in about ten minutes, its like feeding time at the the Tasmanian devils
Shame Im diabetic or I'd get loads
 
It’s a bit more than a ‘ket shop’. It’s a premium product with premium pricing. You only need to look around the town to see the sort of shop which is demanded by shoppers in Sunderland (it’s a fact that town centres become whatever is demanded of them). Sunderland wants the type of shop that piles them high and sells them cheap. This will no doubt start an argument on here, but it’s a demonstrable fact, whether this is because there is less money in the town than in other places, or is because the customers with more disposable income have abandoned Sunderland’s shopping offer is more of a debate. I personally think that there is money in Sunderland but those who have it (to spend in shops) have long-since stopped using the town centre and frequent Newcastle or the Metro centre. But you simply can’t deny that our town is geared towards those with little disposable income, especially when you compare it to towns like Cambridge, York, Leeds etc.

I'm certainly not going to argue about the affluence of Cambridge/York/Leeds compared to Sunderland. That'd be daft, and yes some of the shops reflect that. :D

I do wonder what people actually see when they walk round the Bridges mind, I'll grant you there's some crap, but I see JD, RiverIsland, Next, M&S, Debenhams, Disney, Foot Asylum, HMV, JD, Lush, Pandora, Schuh, Superdry, The Body Shop, Waterstones. They're hardly market stall places. The shops outside of the Bridges do reinforce some of your observations mind, I'll concede that.

I'm also not going to argue the point about shoppers deserting Sunderland, but that's repeated up and down the country. What we've seen over the last few years is a consolidation of 'shopping' town centres to either Metropolitan hubs or out of town shopping malls- and for bigger ticket items (clothes, white goods, furniture) that's where people are going to go, as they don't really have a choice. I think this consolidation has happened mainly to cut costs for the retailers fighting the online behemoths, rather than a reflection of the catchment area having a lower disposable income.

Retail doesn't work to the old rules though. If it did, we wouldn't have the likes of The Works, Poundland, CEX etc in the Metrocentre and Eldon Square, or even Hotel Chocolat in Sunderland. Since the financial crisis some were forced into the lower priced shops - and traditional retailers haven't won them back. Traditional supermarkets are only just starting to adjust strategies and price points to recover from the Aldi/Lidl effect

Hotel Chocolat is a relatively young company, and doing well in smaller retail units on the high street. It may well be a 'premium' product, but it's consumable - guaranteeing repeat purchase. It's also flogging an experience, free samples, interaction with customers, and events in their shops. When you look at it's neighbours above, it doesn't seem that out of place, and I hope it does well. And like it or not - it's a shop selling kets :cool:;)


You’re right it’s not, but it’s the people of sunderland that’s the problem here.
Imagine opening a high end ket shop in Sunderland man, the locals would rather spend their dosh on nearly out of date shite from Poundland!
I love the place and wouldn’t leave, but let’s be honest with ourselves here.

Haway man. Open your eyes. Are there no Poundshops in Newcastle? the MetroCentre? Retail is difficult everywhere, 'the people of sunderland' are the problem? It's like blaming the fans for when we get beat. Makes me sad that people are so quick to knock Sunderland and it's people back so quick
 
Haway man. Open your eyes. Are there no Poundshops in Newcastle? the MetroCentre? Retail is difficult everywhere, 'the people of sunderland' are the problem? It's like blaming the fans for when we get beat. Makes me sad that people are so quick to knock Sunderland and it's people back so quick

Yes, plenty, but theres also a much higher footfall and much more money spent in Newcastle and the Metro Center to sustain the higher end shops.

The daft ***** in Sunderland jump on the Metro or in the Car and head for a 'destination shopping' experience rather than think what available on their doorstep first.

You can defend the people all you want, but the amount of comments about 'theres nowt there', 'theres only pound shops' and 'parking is too expensive' all over the internet show a complete lack of imagine when it comes to shopping local from the residents of Sunderland, its too easy for them to fuck off and spend the day shopping elsewhere.
 
I'm certainly not going to argue about the affluence of Cambridge/York/Leeds compared to Sunderland. That'd be daft, and yes some of the shops reflect that. :D

I do wonder what people actually see when they walk round the Bridges mind, I'll grant you there's some crap, but I see JD, RiverIsland, Next, M&S, Debenhams, Disney, Foot Asylum, HMV, JD, Lush, Pandora, Schuh, Superdry, The Body Shop, Waterstones. They're hardly market stall places. The shops outside of the Bridges do reinforce some of your observations mind, I'll concede that.

I'm also not going to argue the point about shoppers deserting Sunderland, but that's repeated up and down the country. What we've seen over the last few years is a consolidation of 'shopping' town centres to either Metropolitan hubs or out of town shopping malls- and for bigger ticket items (clothes, white goods, furniture) that's where people are going to go, as they don't really have a choice. I think this consolidation has happened mainly to cut costs for the retailers fighting the online behemoths, rather than a reflection of the catchment area having a lower disposable income.

Retail doesn't work to the old rules though. If it did, we wouldn't have the likes of The Works, Poundland, CEX etc in the Metrocentre and Eldon Square, or even Hotel Chocolat in Sunderland. Since the financial crisis some were forced into the lower priced shops - and traditional retailers haven't won them back. Traditional supermarkets are only just starting to adjust strategies and price points to recover from the Aldi/Lidl effect

Hotel Chocolat is a relatively young company, and doing well in smaller retail units on the high street. It may well be a 'premium' product, but it's consumable - guaranteeing repeat purchase. It's also flogging an experience, free samples, interaction with customers, and events in their shops. When you look at it's neighbours above, it doesn't seem that out of place, and I hope it does well. And like it or not - it's a shop selling kets :cool:;)

Spot on, you work in marketing by any chance?




Haway man. Open your eyes. Are there no Poundshops in Newcastle? the MetroCentre? Retail is difficult everywhere, 'the people of sunderland' are the problem? It's like blaming the fans for when we get beat. Makes me sad that people are so quick to knock Sunderland and it's people back so quick
 
Yes, plenty, but theres also a much higher footfall and much more money spent in Newcastle and the Metro Center to sustain the higher end shops.

The daft ***** in Sunderland jump on the Metro or in the Car and head for a 'destination shopping' experience rather than think what available on their doorstep first.

You can defend the people all you want, but the amount of comments about 'theres nowt there', 'theres only pound shops' and 'parking is too expensive' all over the internet show a complete lack of imagine when it comes to shopping local from the residents of Sunderland, its too easy for them to fuck off and spend the day shopping elsewhere.

oh. You're basing it on those people on FB?

I dare bet the Hotel Chocolat mob based their decision on actual footfall figures, projections, the retail environment etc. rather than the clowns on Sunderland Have Your Say ;)
 
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oh. You're basing it on those people on FB?

I dare bet the Hotel Chocolat mob based their decision on actual footfall figures, projections, the retail environment etc. rather than the clowns on Sunderland Have Your Say ;)
You just have to jump on a metro mate, loads going through Newcastle, and those coming back loaded with bags. I see mates doing the same, our lass is also the same to some extent, wants to constantly go to the Metro Center, I have to talk her out of it.

Do you not know of anyone that does the above? I bet you do, plenty!
 
You just have to jump on a metro mate, loads going through Newcastle, and those coming back loaded with bags. I see mates doing the same, our lass is also the same to some extent, wants to constantly go to the Metro Center, I have to talk her out of it.

Do you not know of anyone that does the above? I bet you do, plenty!
I sometimes wonder if it's education or awareness.

I really question if people shopping in Newcastle and then complain about the same in Sunderland actually see the connection.
 
I'm certainly not going to argue about the affluence of Cambridge/York/Leeds compared to Sunderland. That'd be daft, and yes some of the shops reflect that. :D

I do wonder what people actually see when they walk round the Bridges mind, I'll grant you there's some crap, but I see JD, RiverIsland, Next, M&S, Debenhams, Disney, Foot Asylum, HMV, JD, Lush, Pandora, Schuh, Superdry, The Body Shop, Waterstones. They're hardly market stall places. The shops outside of the Bridges do reinforce some of your observations mind, I'll concede that.

I'm also not going to argue the point about shoppers deserting Sunderland, but that's repeated up and down the country. What we've seen over the last few years is a consolidation of 'shopping' town centres to either Metropolitan hubs or out of town shopping malls- and for bigger ticket items (clothes, white goods, furniture) that's where people are going to go, as they don't really have a choice. I think this consolidation has happened mainly to cut costs for the retailers fighting the online behemoths, rather than a reflection of the catchment area having a lower disposable income.

Retail doesn't work to the old rules though. If it did, we wouldn't have the likes of The Works, Poundland, CEX etc in the Metrocentre and Eldon Square, or even Hotel Chocolat in Sunderland. Since the financial crisis some were forced into the lower priced shops - and traditional retailers haven't won them back. Traditional supermarkets are only just starting to adjust strategies and price points to recover from the Aldi/Lidl effect

Hotel Chocolat is a relatively young company, and doing well in smaller retail units on the high street. It may well be a 'premium' product, but it's consumable - guaranteeing repeat purchase. It's also flogging an experience, free samples, interaction with customers, and events in their shops. When you look at it's neighbours above, it doesn't seem that out of place, and I hope it does well. And like it or not - it's a shop selling kets :cool:;)




Haway man. Open your eyes. Are there no Poundshops in Newcastle? the MetroCentre? Retail is difficult everywhere, 'the people of sunderland' are the problem? It's like blaming the fans for when we get beat. Makes me sad that people are so quick to knock Sunderland and it's people back so quick
Looks like we’re on the same page mate! I certainly agree with what you touched on about ‘selling an experience’. This is the only way traditional retail is going to weather the onslaught of online shopping. Obviously we’ve seen an upsurge in retailers that offer a product that can’t be bought on the internet...hence the proliferation of coffee chains and food places, but if you are selling something that can be bought easily and cheaper online then you have to add value to the experience...sampling, top quality customer service, a feeling of being valued. Years ago to buy from shops you’d need to speak to the person behind the counter who would fetch the items you wanted to buy, then we decided that to save time and money we’d let people get the stuff themselves, and this has led to a situation where we’re now even checking the stuff out ourselves with zero human interaction along the way. The shops have basically created an environment where you might as well shop online.

I will say that Sunderland seems to get the scrag-end of the retailers, yes we have the shops you mentioned that you see on all high streets, but they’re either very small in comparison to other cities branches (Schuh, River Island, Topshop etc), or they’re the discount/warehouse variant of their brand as in our Superdry store.
 
I'm certainly not going to argue about the affluence of Cambridge/York/Leeds compared to Sunderland. That'd be daft, and yes some of the shops reflect that. :D

I do wonder what people actually see when they walk round the Bridges mind, I'll grant you there's some crap, but I see JD, RiverIsland, Next, M&S, Debenhams, Disney, Foot Asylum, HMV, JD, Lush, Pandora, Schuh, Superdry, The Body Shop, Waterstones. They're hardly market stall places. The shops outside of the Bridges do reinforce some of your observations mind, I'll concede that.

I'm also not going to argue the point about shoppers deserting Sunderland, but that's repeated up and down the country. What we've seen over the last few years is a consolidation of 'shopping' town centres to either Metropolitan hubs or out of town shopping malls- and for bigger ticket items (clothes, white goods, furniture) that's where people are going to go, as they don't really have a choice. I think this consolidation has happened mainly to cut costs for the retailers fighting the online behemoths, rather than a reflection of the catchment area having a lower disposable income.

Retail doesn't work to the old rules though. If it did, we wouldn't have the likes of The Works, Poundland, CEX etc in the Metrocentre and Eldon Square, or even Hotel Chocolat in Sunderland. Since the financial crisis some were forced into the lower priced shops - and traditional retailers haven't won them back. Traditional supermarkets are only just starting to adjust strategies and price points to recover from the Aldi/Lidl effect

Hotel Chocolat is a relatively young company, and doing well in smaller retail units on the high street. It may well be a 'premium' product, but it's consumable - guaranteeing repeat purchase. It's also flogging an experience, free samples, interaction with customers, and events in their shops. When you look at it's neighbours above, it doesn't seem that out of place, and I hope it does well. And like it or not - it's a shop selling kets :cool:;)




Haway man. Open your eyes. Are there no Poundshops in Newcastle? the MetroCentre? Retail is difficult everywhere, 'the people of sunderland' are the problem? It's like blaming the fans for when we get beat. Makes me sad that people are so quick to knock Sunderland and it's people back so quick
Excellent post.
 
they are like...I thinks its becasue they are quite liquid..so you bite into the bitter chocolate and you just get thet sweet,salty liquid caramel...they are a real treat..we get 3 of the little blister packs they come in and devour the lot in about ten minutes, its like feeding time at the the Tasmanian devils
I can't believe this post has been on here for nine hours and no-one has remarked on you liking the sweet salty liquid exploding in your mouth
 
oh. You're basing it on those people on FB?

I dare bet the Hotel Chocolat mob based their decision on actual footfall figures, projections, the retail environment etc. rather than the clowns on Sunderland Have Your Say ;)

Or maybe the owner being from the area feels Sunderland should have one even if it's a loss leader.

They make there money generally in short bursts.. Christmas, Easter, valentines
 

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