'We're staying': Thorntons franchise in Bridgnorth will remain open

An independent Thorntons franchise in Shropshire is remaining open, despite dozens of shops closing throughout the country.

Debbie Richards, Alix Francis and Liz Shelvey outside the store

The national chocolate brand announced it was closing all 61 of its UK stores as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, but did not specify what would remain of its franchises, including in Bridgnorth.

This led owners Mark Rees and his wife Katy, who run dozens of franchises, facing questions over the future of their shop on High Street.

Shop workers Debbie Richards, Liz Shelvey and Alix Francis have since been reassuring the public the business would remain trading and reopen as soon as government guidelines allow.

Formerly known as Hallmarks Thorntons before rebranding to Henry & Co, the store has been trading in Bridgnorth for at least 15 years.

Sales assistant Debbie said: "We're a small independent store, and Mark has recently rebranded it to Henry & Co to get away from the Thorntons name.

Shop workers Liz Shelvey, Alix Francis and Debbie Richards

"Thorntons had been in contact with Mark to let him know what was going on, but they then made a huge public announcement and not once mentioned what would happen to all of its franchisees."

Thorntons has more than 100 franchises that make up the bulk of its High Street presence.

Debbie added: "They didn't reiterate in anyway that they would still be operating so we want to get across to our loyal customers that even though we're rebranding, we'll still be stocking Thorntons and will be reopening as soon as restrictions allow."

Mark pays £7,000 a year for the privilege of using the Thorntons name above the chain of shops his parents started 30 years ago.

He said trade restrictions instigated by Thorntons had made business difficult at times.

In 2004, Thorntons took its business partners by surprise by announcing that it would start supplying supermarkets and other shops with its products, meaning customers could get their chocolate fix elsewhere and for cheaper.

While many franchisees had to abide by strict rules on how the chocolates were displayed and the price they were sold for, those same products were being supplied to petrol stations and discount retailers.