Thornton’s a UK quality chocolate and confectionary manufacturer and retailer has been following an aggressive growth strategy, but in the growth is sales and profit has not lived up to expectations. This 16 page paper examines the company using a SWOT, PESTEL and Porters Five Forces analysis, looks at the way the company has been trying to grow using Ansoffs matrix and the flaws in the international expansion as well as the way the compnay competes in the UK with differentiations. The paper ends with the suggestion of a new strategic statement encompassing the way the company may be able to move forward. The bibliography cites 14 sources.
Name of Research Paper File: TS14_TEchocthorn.rtf
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Thorntons is a well known name associated in the UK with quality, highly differentiated chocolates and confectionary. However although the company is well known and has a good reputation
there appears to be difficulties with the current strategy, the company is growing, but this appears to be a challenge, the growth is slow and laboured. To appreciate the company
we can look at the company using a range of tools to analysis the current position and strategies. 2. Company Position 2.1 SWOT Analysis The company has many strengths;
the history and development has given the company a sold base from which to operate. The tag line for marking is Chocolate Heaven since 1911 although this is not strictly
true. If we look at the development of strategy of Thorntons since the beginning the company started out as in 1911 as a single shop where there was the aim
to end the need to travel. The beginning was one where self manufacture and innovation with home made recipes and the search for new ideas that would sell. Therefore, there
is a beginning that may have been borne out a necessity rather than a specific vision. However, it also started out with a strategy of differentiation. The recipe for one
of the current core product, the toffee, was developed in the 1920s and aided organic growth. The addition of chocolate is seen in the 1950s following a visit to
Switzerland. In the early 1980s following the dropping of the barriers of trade between the UK and Europe the export of confectionary also indicated there was a market abroad, and
the lure of this market meant that the strategy to grow became more aggressive. There is a well established product and we can also see the company operating in
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