Mars Acquires UK Chocolate Brand Hotel Chocolat

Retail
Written By Rick Watson

The luxury chocolatier was established as an online retailer in 2004 and enjoyed a meteoric rise with outlets on high streets across the UK before an ambitious expansion plan attempted to crack the US and Japanese markets.

Mars has acquired premium chocolate brand Hotel Cholcat for £534 million ($662 million). Mars is following the premiumization trend by acquiring a struggling luxury chocolate brand

ConfectioneryNews: Mars buys luxury UK chocolate brand Hotel Chocolat in shock deal

Rick Watson

Rick Watson founded RMW Commerce Consulting after spending 20+ years as a technology entrepreneur and operator exclusively in the eCommerce industry with companies like ChannelAdvisor, BarnesandNoble.com, Merchantry, and Pitney Bowes.

Watson’s work today is centered on supporting investors and management teams incubating and growing direct-to-consumer businesses. Most recently, in partnership with WHP Global, Rick was a critical resource in architecting the WHP+ platform, a new turnkey direct to consumer digital e-commerce platform that powers AnneKlein.com and JosephAbboud.com.

Watson also hosts a weekly podcast, Watson Weekly, where he shares an unbiased, unfiltered expert take on the retail sector’s biggest players.

In the past year alone, Rick has spoken at many in-person and virtual events as well as podcasts on topics ranging from retail/ecom to supply chain/logistics and even digital grocery including CommerceNext IRL, ASCM Connect, and Retail Innovation Conference.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/
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