Knoops has launched a next generation app that will enable customers to tailor and pre-order their favourite bespoke chocolate drinks on their smartphones.

As Knoops continues to grow at pace and moves from start-up phase into scale-up, the app will help grow the brand’s multi-channel offering and further expand its addressable market.

The group recently recorded its biggest online day of the year on Black Friday in November and has seen encouraging overall trends online for several weeks as it approaches one of the busiest gifting periods.

The next stage in the brand’s development comes as it announces plans to press ahead with its pipeline of an additional 20 openings from March 2024, targeting major cities and university towns, with medium-term ambitions for 200 stores across the UK.

Customers can use the app to take them through the ‘Knoopology’ crafting process within seconds, with a choice of over three billion unique variations across an extensive range of curated chocolates from across the world, as well as alternative milks and additional flavourings from fresh orange zest to chilli. The app will offer helpful tasting notes and detailed information on all the different chocolate drinks and coffee on offer. Knoops’ chocolate flakes can also be purchased online using the app, as well as in store and through trusted partners.

The team at Knoops has worked with software and app specialist Arch to develop the advanced functionality to provide the best user experience.

Knoops currently has 15 branches, including seven in London, with plans in place to take the number of outlets to 20 nationally by March, including new openings in Edinburgh, Leeds and Exeter as the trend for artisan drinking chocolate follows coffee in taking root on British high streets.

The app has been designed with international functionality as 2024 will also see the start of the international roll out alongside its UK expansion.

William Gordon-Harris, CEO of Knoops, commented: “As the creators of a category in the F&B space, the Knoops user experience and resultant customer satisfaction is the most important metric for us. So many brands simply install self-service kiosks but forget that technology should first and foremost enhance the customer journey. We believe by allowing our customers to configure and order drinks on their phone, there will be a much smoother progression towards the adoption of electronic ordering in store.”

Jens Knoop, Founder of Knoops, added: “I am delighted to see how intuitive the configurator is and how simple the ordering process is. Many of our customers still enjoy the counter interaction with our ‘chocolate sommeliers’ in store but the app-based system now offers customers the same personalised experience for when they might be pushed for time.”

Neri Malinas CEO of Arch commented: “Knoops is a brand that is now ready to scale at a rate not normally possible in the F&B space having already built world class back-end systems to enable this. The range of menu options that underpins the customer offer meant that a robust app needed to be built to complement its existing high-performing software. We look forward to supporting the future ambitions of Knoops.”