Hotel Chocolat will be available via on-demand delivery for the first time, after launching with Deliveroo.
A “curated range” of its gifting boxes, Velvetiser drinking chocolate refills and its alcoholic velvetised cream will be available for delivery from an initial five locations around the UK.
It includes Chiswick, St James’s and Wimbledon in London, Manchester Cross Street, and Staines.
The partnership marks Hotel Chocolat’s first foray into on-demand, and comes as it enters the crucial golden period of Halloween followed by Christmas. The offer will be expanded to include a range of Advent calendars and stocking fillers later this year.
“Thoughtful gifting has always been at the heart of Hotel Chocolat, and we’re constantly looking at how we can make it easier for customers to mark the moments that matter,” said Carrie Martin, Hotel Chocolat UK MD.
“Partnering with Deliveroo gives customers a completely new way to access and send Hotel Chocolat gifts: combining the quality and originality they expect from us with greater choice and flexibility. It’s an exciting next step in how we’re growing the brand and meeting customers where they want to shop.”
Searches for the brand had increased by 40% over the past year from Deliveroo customers, the platform said, signifying the demand for listing Hotel Chocolat’s products.
“We are building a new destination for gifting at Deliveroo,” said Suzy McClintock, Deliveroo consumer VP.
“Customers are no longer using our platform just to shop for themselves but to send something special to a loved one, whether for Valentine’s Day, Christmas, a birthday and more. As a true gifting specialist, Hotel Chocolat brings real brand authority and category expertise to our retail offer, and we are excited to help them reach more consumers who are on a mission to find a meaningful last-minute gift.”
It’s the latest move by the premium chocolatier to expand into channels outside of its core stores and online business. In October, it launched a range of its Velvetiser refill boxes into Tesco, in what was its first major foray back into supermarkets following a short-lived trial with Waitrose in 2021.
In March, Hotel Chocolat unveiled its biggest brand refresh for 21 years, in a bid to curb inflation and widen the choice of price points for its customers.
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