Announcement was less than sweet

January 24 - 2019. Luxury chocolate shop Thorntons announced the decision to close its Exeter shop was based on a store estate review.

Signs went up in the windows of the High Street branch earlier in the week, confirming that the store would close on Saturday, March 2.

The message read: "We're sorry this store is closing. You can still find all your favourites in our Plymouth Cafe and Street Stores."

The Exeter store employed nine people, and Thorntons said it would try to find them other jobs.

A spokesperson for Ferrero, Thorntons' parent company, said at the time: “Like any retailer, we are continuously reviewing our store estate to ensure we are in the locations that meet our customer needs. As a result of such a review, the decision was taken to close the store at Exeter on March 2, 2019."