TIDMTHT 
 
RNS Number : 3410A 
Thorntons PLC 
07 October 2009 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
THORNTONS PLC 
("Thorntons" or "the Company") 
 
 
FIRST QUARTER TRADING UPDATE 
AND INTERIM MANAGEMENT STATEMENT 
 
 
 
 
Thorntons PLC today reported its first quarter trading update for the 14 weeks 
up to and including 3 October 2009. 
 
 
 
 
Highlights: 
 
 
  *  Total sales grew by 2.3% to GBP46.8 million. 
 
 
 
  *  Own store sales increased by 1.9% to GBP27.1 million with like for like sales 
  growth of 1.3%. 
 
 
 
  *  Franchise sales declined by 15.2% to GBP2.9 million as a result of Birthdays 
  Ltd, which operated 94 franchises, going into administration in May 2009. 
  Currently, 48 stores have already opened with new franchisees and a further 23 
  stores are expected to start trading before Christmas. 
 
 
 
  *  Thorntons Direct sales increased by 2.4% to GBP1.1 million. Marketing activity 
  to drive sales growth will increase after the new website goes live this week. 
 
 
 
  *  Commercial sales grew by 7.2% to GBP15.7 million against strong comparatives in 
  the same period last year which included the last full quarter of sales to 
  Woolworths, one of Thorntons' largest customers at the time. 
 
 
 
  *  As previously reported, during the period the Group agreed new medium term 
  committed bank facilities. 
 
 
 
 
 
Mike Davies, Thorntons' Chief Executive, commented: 
 
 
"We are pleased to report satisfactory trading in the first quarter with overall 
growth of 2.3%, particularly as the comparative period included both Woolworths 
and Birthdays as customers. We are in the process of adding several products to 
our offering and have just launched the new Christmas range in our stores. We 
continue to innovate and improve our performance which puts us in a good 
position ahead of our key Christmas trading period." 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
+-------------+-------------+-------------+ 
|    Sales    |     Q1      |     Q1      | 
|  growth %   |14 weeks to  |14 weeks to  | 
|             |             |  04-10-08   | 
|             |  03-10-09   |             | 
+-------------+-------------+-------------+ 
| Own stores  |    +1.9%    |    +4.9%    | 
+-------------+-------------+-------------+ 
|  Franchise  |   -15.2%    |    +2.4%    | 
|   stores    |             |             | 
+-------------+-------------+-------------+ 
|  Thorntons  |    +2.4%    |    +0.7%    | 
|   Direct    |             |             | 
+-------------+-------------+-------------+ 
| Commercial  |    +7.2%    |   +11.0%    | 
|    sales    |             |             | 
+-------------+-------------+-------------+ 
|    Total    |    +2.3%    |    +6.4%    | 
+-------------+-------------+-------------+ 
 
 
 
 
+-------------+-------------+-------------+ 
|  Like for   |     Q1      |     Q1      | 
| like sales  |14 weeks to  |14 weeks to  | 
|  growth %   |             |  04-10-08   | 
|             |  03-10-09   |             | 
+-------------+-------------+-------------+ 
| Own stores  | +1.3%       |    +0.9%    | 
+-------------+-------------+-------------+ 
 
 
 
 
+-------------+-------------+-------------+ 
| Sales GBPm  |     Q1      |     Q1      | 
|             |14 weeks to  |14 weeks to  | 
|             |             |  04-10-08   | 
|             |  03-10-09   |             | 
+-------------+-------------+-------------+ 
| Own stores  |    27.1     |    26.6     | 
+-------------+-------------+-------------+ 
|  Franchise  |    2.9      |    3.4      | 
|   stores    |             |             | 
+-------------+-------------+-------------+ 
|  Thorntons  |    1.1      |    1.1      | 
|   Direct    |             |             | 
+-------------+-------------+-------------+ 
| Commercial  |    15.7     |    14.6     | 
|    sales    |             |             | 
+-------------+-------------+-------------+ 
|    Total    |    46.8     |    45.7     | 
+-------------+-------------+-------------+ 
 
 
 
 
+------------+------------+------------+------------+------------+------------+ 
|Portfolio   | Stores as  |New stores  |  Resites   |  Closures  |Stores as   | 
|            |    at      |            |            |            |    at      | 
|            |  27-6-09   |            |            |            |  03-10-09  | 
+------------+------------+------------+------------+------------+------------+ 
|Own stores  |    379     |     1      |            |    -2      |    378     | 
+------------+------------+------------+------------+------------+------------+ 
| Franchise  |    197     |     9      |            |    -7      |    199     | 
|  stores    |            |            |            |            |            | 
+------------+------------+------------+------------+------------+------------+ 
|   Total    |    576     |    10      |            |    -9      |    577     | 
+------------+------------+------------+------------+------------+------------+ 
 
 
 
 
END 
 
 
For further information please contact: 
 
 
Cardew Group    T: 020 7930 0777 
Nadja Vetter / Emma Consett 
 
 
 
 
 
This information is provided by RNS 
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange 
   END 
 
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