One of three branches in the Liverpool city centre, this Thorntons store is located on "South John…read moreStreet", on the lower level of the Liverpool One - to avoid confusion this is different to the branch inside St John's Shopping Centre.
I called in here after picking up an offer on O2 Priority to pick up a free chocolate heart which is usually priced at £8, the in-store experience was quite good, I was in and out within minutes and offered the chance to personalise the heart free of charge in a colour of my choice. (Boy was I tempted to make a football reference, perhaps one about Raheem Sterling winning the double)
The store also contained a Thorntons Cafe, which is quite rare to see in Thorntons stores, the only time I've ever seen it before was at a branch closer to me at Manchester Fort, I guess with it being a good, central location and not being their only branch in the city centre they thought it would be a good idea, but for me too much of the store is devoted to the cafe, causing slight confusion and it in a way ruins the overall experience for the cafe and the store, for example in the store the selection doesn't tend to be as good as other branches, such as Thorntons - Manchester Arndale, which is also a decent sized store but lacks the "Thorntons Cafe" feature.
The staff around the store did seem friendly offering samples of their latest chocolate, one thing I liked about how they offered samples was the sign showing all allergens. Chocolate is naturally gluten-free but in high-end, speciality chocolate retailers like this sometimes they add things into it which may or may not contain gluten, I felt confident taking and going onto enjoying the sample because of this, avoiding wasting time and an awkward encounter with staff compared to if they didn't have it.
Inside, the store was a typical Thorntons store which in a way gives an oldy-worldy vibe compared to a modern one.
Prices for certain items such as the heart considering as I recall it was only 100g were high at £8 but typically for gifts and stores like this, it just seems to be the price they charge, and I would be surprised to pay a much lower price at the nearest similar retailer, Hotel Chocolat also inside the Liverpool One (coincidentally also with a cafe)
A decent store with kind and helpful staff, albeit it does have multiple issues mentioned such as the overall selection, feel, cafe issues and pricing, it is pretty cool and one of my favourite and more welcoming Thorntons branches in Liverpool, especially in comparison to the Whitechapel branch so it does deserve a solid three-star rating here.