Hotel Chocolat has closed its US website months after closing stores in the region to focus instead on its home market
In an update to the City on Monday, the retailer said it had decided to cease direct-to-consumer sales in the US and would be closing all of its in-country warehousing and fulfilment support arrangements.
It follows a decision made in July to scale back investment in its US operations in favour of exploring more wholesale opportunities, which necessitated the closure of its store network in the country.
A spokeswoman for the business said Hotel Chocolat was pulling investment in the US to focus the group’s strategic efforts on “the more profitable parts of the business”, such as its home UK market, the Velvetiser hot chocolate maker, its VIP membership scheme and its ecommerce arm.
On July 26, the retailer’s Japanese joint venture secured court approval to undergo restructuring. The venture is seeking to restructure, pursuant to acquiring new sources of financing.
Hotel Chocolat said it would report a bottom-line loss for the year to June 26 after taking action amid the wider economic uncertainty.
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