Hotel Chocolat Share Discussion Threads

[netcurtains] 02/3/2021 09:23

Which bits do I hi-light?

-- Revenue up 11% to GBP101.9m (H1 FY20: GBP91.7m)
-- Underlying EBITDA up 2% to GBP24.9m (H1 FY20: GBP24.6m)(1)
-- Profit before tax up 3% to GBP15.5m (H1 FY20: GBP15.0m)
-- Strong balance sheet with net cash at period end of GBP47.6m
(H1 FY20: GBP24.3m)
-- Earnings per share of 9.7p (H1 FY20: 11.5p)
-- Strong sales growth reflecting growing brand appeal in the UK,
USA & Japan
-- UK sales grew by +12% driven by increased multichannel flexibility,
with online growth more than offsetting reduction in physical
retail sales caused by closures during lockdown and Tier 4 restrictions
-- UK customer database grew by 38%, adding + 0.6m active members
(USA customer database grew by 170%, Japan customer database
grew by 900%)
-- 51% of UK sales in the period from direct to consumer digital
(online sales, subscriptions, and online experiences)
-- A pivot to digital-led growth in USA. Sales grew 22% in Q2 with
the acceleration capped by level of inventory in-country at peak.
We are expanding our capabilities in the USA to fully capture
the market opportunity
-- Japanese joint-venture's sales to consumers grew 228%. Wholesale
sales by the Group to the joint venture contributed 1 percentage
point of the Group's year-on-year growth

It just goes on and on.
Just blmy!!!

[netcurtains] 02/3/2021 08:19

Imagine the extra profits once the shops open as well... Amazing.

[netcurtains] 02/3/2021 08:19

Someone is looked at the results this morning.

[netcurtains] 02/3/2021 07:55

Blimy those results look way better than I was expecting!

[nithbank] 02/3/2021 07:07

We recorded superb results in the UK, USA and Japan despite Covid-19 restrictions affecting all our physical locations. Great performance!

[netcurtains] 22/2/2021 15:52

Shops probably open APRIL (HOTC might open a lot earlier as food retailer - ball is in their court)

Looks good for EASTER

[netcurtains] 17/2/2021 09:18

Ash Wednesday. Its the start of the run up to Easter and shops opening.

Double whammy for Hotel Chocolate - shops opening and Easter - the biggest Chocolate day of the year.

Perfect alignment.

[netcurtains] 15/2/2021 16:28

Its gradually inching its way up

[netcurtains] 14/2/2021 17:34

SHOPPING:
UK consists of over 15m people who are over 70 or are at risk and that does not even include those in age range 60-69 - we know this by vaccine numbers.
For the FIRST TIME in any lockdown these 15 million will feel more free to shop - so when shops open quite possibly.... Booom.

[netcurtains] 12/2/2021 12:45

March 3rd budget is going to be massive for retailers.
Cant see how it can be any different.

[netcurtains] 12/2/2021 09:35

Big Vals day on Sunday.
Then the big run in to Easter (as pancake day is on Tuesday)
Which will include, at some point,
opening of shops.

After that hotter weather and the super big
sales of Hotel Chocolat ice-cream ....

Booooom!

[netcurtains] 10/2/2021 16:45

What chain of shops stands to gain the most by being open
by Easter?

[netcurtains] 10/2/2021 16:44

goood finish

[netcurtains] 09/2/2021 16:41

I dont think that jumped to 372p - I suspect ADVFN got that wrong

[netcurtains] 09/2/2021 15:11

Remember that retailers can go up in price.

[netcurtains] 08/2/2021 14:13

Interestingly some retailers are on the turn today. Like a cusp. A sea change.

[netcurtains] 05/2/2021 12:05

fullbreakfast: HOTC go right down to £5 for 4 valentine chocolates in nice little box.

Chococo cheapest is £9.50 and not so well presented.

HOTC has better web site and better presentation and better prices.

I know we're in a trading range blah blah but was rather hoping that
we should be on a flyer not a downer.

[fullbreakfast] 05/2/2021 11:49

As a customer, I found the product better than mass-market but not as premium as some other chocolatiers. Also, online packaging is poor for a premium product.

As a chocolate consumer (not a HOTC shareholder, though I might consider it...) I'd be interested to hear who you feel offers better quality at a similar or lower price point? We like HOTC products in our house and the price/quality tradeoff seems pretty good to me. Though the "Sleekster" boxes do tend to get rather badly bent when delivered by Ocado.

[phil188] 05/2/2021 11:39

Recently sold my stake in HOTC, taking a small loss. As a customer, I found the product better than mass-market but not as premium as some other chocolatiers. Also, online packaging is poor for a premium product. Fear they may fall between two stools. Good luck to those still in.

[netcurtains] 05/2/2021 08:12

The price of HOTC is now significantly LOWER than highs of 2017, 2018 and 2019.
So in terms of investment in Chocolate this is a big fall .

[netcurtains] 05/2/2021 08:10

Current cocoa price is actually slightly below average:


Not sure that means anything negative for Hotel Chocolate - might be a good thing.
So price fall is not price of cocoa related - at least in no obvious sense.

[netcurtains] 05/2/2021 08:08

I know in November prices of cocoa was rising (I guess this is a good sign in that demand must have been rising too)



Whats happening to the spot price now?