Chocolate shop chain to full out of Sleaford after Christmas.

Posters have appeared in the windows of the store announcing it will close on December 27, with the nearest alternative shop being in Lincoln.

A Ferrero spokesperson confirmed the closure to The Standard, saying: “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 our store in Sleaford.

“Currently, four staff members are employed at the store, but we will try our utmost to redeploy them to nearby stores.

“Thorntons has been delighted to serve our many local customers over the years and we would encourage them to visit our other store nearby in Lincoln in the future.”

There has been speculation for at least six years about the future of the store as the business went through difficult times, trying to restructure, shedding some of its stores previously or handing more over to franchisees while upping its product sales within supermarkets.

The troubled Derbyshire-based company was bought two years ago in a £112m deal by the Italian Ferrero group, which produces brands including Nutella and Ferrero Rocher, and had struggled to bring losses under control, according to the financial market press.

Earlier this year it racked up pre-tax losses of more than £19m in its first full-year under the ownership of the Ferrero group, partly relating to restructuring and refinancing, shop closures and lease charges.

This is another blow to Sleaford’s High Street ‘offer’ after earlier this year Store Twenty One closed down having gone into administration. Since then, a new, independent investor has moved into the store and re-opened selling clothes and home furnishings.