The chocolate firm, which posted a 4.1% drop in sales to £26.6m in the 10 weeks to June 26, said: “Since the period end the company continued to implement a number of cost control measures and has announced a staff restructuring programme leading to a reduction of some 35 head office employees over the next three months.
While sales through its own store network slumped 6.2% to £17.5m over the period, sales of Thorntons-branded products at other retailers were up 7.2% to £6.5m, despite widespread destocking after Easter, said the firm.
Thorntons will release its full-year results on September 8.