UK Standard Delivery

Standard deliveries will arrive within 3 working days (excluding Sundays and bank holidays) from the dispatch date. Our standard delivery service is fulfilled by Royal Mail. Orders placed before 11:00am will normally be dispatched the same day - otherwise, they will be dispatched on the next working day (excluding weekends and bank holidays).

You'll be able to track your order within 24 hours after dispatch. Royal Mail will send you an email which will inform you of the delivery date, on the morning of the delivery they will then communicate a time window. You can use the link communicated in the email that day to change the delivery date and time right up until it is delivered. If nobody’s home to sign for your goods when we arrive, the Royal Mail delivery driver has the option to leave the item in a “Safe Place”. This can be nominated by you or be at the discretion of the delivery person. Deliver to a neighbour is also available. After a second delivery attempt Royal Mail will leave a card stating “We have your item”. You can either request delivery again or collect but Royal Mail would require ID.

To track your order, simply follow the link in your shipping email.

Next / Named Day Delivery

Next / Named day deliveries are fulfilled by Royal Mail and are delivered Tuesday - Saturday.

To receive your chocolates via our Next / Named Day Delivery service, you will need to place your order before 4:00pm Monday - Friday. Next / Named Day Delivery orders placed after this time, or on a Saturday or Sunday, will not be delivered until the following working Tuesday.

If you are not going to be home within delivery hours, the courier will leave a calling card for you to rearrange a suitable time and date. If you know that nobody will be home during delivery hours, we would recommend delivery to an alternative address instead. If your goods become unsuitable as a result of non-delivery (for example, exceeding their best before date), we cannot accept liability.

You'll be able to track your order within 72 hours after dispatch. Royal Mail will send you an email which will inform you of the delivery date, on the morning of the delivery they will then communicate a time window. You can use the link communicated in the email that day to change the delivery date and time right up until it is delivered. If nobody’s home to sign for your goods when we arrive, the Royal Mail delivery driver has the option to leave the item in a “Safe Place”. This can be nominated by you or be at the discretion of the delivery person. Deliver to a neighbour is also available. After a second delivery attempt Royal Mail will leave a card stating “We have your item”. You can either request delivery again or collect but Royal Mail would require ID.

To track your order, simply follow the link in your shipping email.

Out of area postcodes

Unfortunately, we do not offer shipping to the channel islands or international shipping at present.

Delivery Restrictions

Orders Containing Alcohol

Please remember that it is an offence to purchase or attempt to purchase alcohol if you are under the age of 18.

Please be aware orders containing Alcohol require an age check at your doorstep or Royal Mail collection points. The delivery driver will not leave your parcel in a safe place or with a neighbour due to this.

Personalised Products

For select products from our personalised range, you will need to place your order before 12:00pm midday (Monday - Friday, excluding bank holidays) to receive your product the next working day.

Business/Hospital Addresses

We know that people are busy and can’t always be available to receive a delivery, so we’re more than happy to deliver to reception/post room/security areas and accept signatures from authorised representatives; however, this is only available with our named day delivery option.

Incorrect Addresses

We always ship to the exact address details you enter, so make sure to check you’ve given us the correct information before you place your order. If you’re unsure, try the Post Office address finder as we can’t accept liability for late or failed deliveries due to an incorrect address.

Weight Per Parcel

We can send as many products as you wish up to 1.2 kg per delivery charge. For orders exceeding this weight, please call us on +44 (0) 845 121 1911.

Weather Restrictions

During times of adverse weather conditions e.g. snow, flooding or unusually hot weather, we reserve the right to delay deliveries depending on the weather conditions in the part of the country the delivery is going to or being transported through.

We will always make every effort to deliver your order on time. Should our services be affected, we will update our website with details of any delays we are experiencing.

At Thorntons, we are dedicated to ensuring that we deliver our products with care, to make sure that you receive the quality chocolates you expect.

During the warmer weather we take extra precautions to ensure the heat does not affect any of our deliveries, these include removing certain shipping options and transporting during the evenings. This can mean your order may take a little longer than usual to arrive.

However due to the exceptionally high temperatures sometimes experienced across the UK we may delay the delivery of selected orders in areas with high temperatures. You will receive a dispatch notification once your order is on its way.

We apologise for any inconvenience caused. We have taken this decision with the interests of our customers in mind as we want to continue to deliver the best possible quality products.

You’re still able to place an order using our standard delivery method, however we will keep hold of your order at our temperature controlled warehouse and dispatch it as soon as the temperature cools. You will receive a dispatch email once your order is on its way.

FAQ's

Why is there a delay?

During the warmer weather we take extra precautions to ensure the heat does not affect any of our deliveries, these include removing certain shipping options and transporting during the evenings. This can mean your order may take a little longer than usual to arrive.

You’re still able to place an order using our standard delivery method, however we will keep hold of your order at our temperature controlled warehouse and dispatch it as soon as the temperature cools. You will receive a dispatch email once your order is on its way.

Why am I unable to order for delivery tomorrow?

Due to the exceptionally high temperatures sometimes experienced across the UK we may delay the delivery of all orders until further notice.

When will my parcel be delivered?

We will keep hold of your order at our temperature controlled warehouse and dispatch your order as soon as the temperature cools. You will receive a dispatch email once your order is on its way. It may take up to 14 working days, however could be sooner.

How do you select areas which are cool enough?

We carefully monitor the local temperature of many regions across the UK daily. If we believe the temperature will remain cool enough in a region we will dispatch the orders due for delivery in that region. We also work closely with our courier network’s local dispatch centres to understand which regions we can deliver to without risking product quality.

My order has already arrived melted, what shall I do?

We are really sorry that your order hasn’t arrived as it should, please contact our customer support team who will be able to help.

Why don’t you use temperature control vehicles?

Using these types of vehicles would significantly increase the cost of the delivery which is something that we do not want to pass over to the customer. So with that in mind we made the decision not to use temperature control vehicles - However we are exploring all options to ensure we can deliver during high temperature in the future.

Why do I have to pay delivery when there is a delay?

We are holding orders back from being delivered, however the delivery charge is still required in order to deliver your chocolate gifts once the temperature has dropped.

When will my payment be taken?

For orders placed using a debit or credit card, your account will be debited upon successfully purchasing your products. Please note it could take up to 24 hours for this to show in your account.

For orders placed using PayPal, your PayPal account will be debited upon successfully purchasing your products. PayPal do, however, offer the option to make payment following delivery of goods. To set this as your default payment method please log in to your PayPal account.