Godiva, the maker of high-end chocolates that significantly expanded its U.S. retail presence in recent decades, is reversing course and closing all its North American brick-and-mortar locations, according to numerous online news sources citing a company statement.
The reversal in course comes after Godiva has been hurt by a move away from mall shopping that was already underway before COVID-19 and related restrictions accelerated the trend.
Godiva has 116 locations in the United States, according to the company’s website. They are in 31 states and Puerto Rico. In addition to its traditional boutique candy shops, the new locations have included cafes.
The states with the most locations are California with 20, New York with eight and New Jersey with eight.
Amid the challenge for brick-and-mortar retailers is a trend observed by PYMNTS.com research: shoppers who are most likely to get a COVID-19 vaccine are among those most likely to continue shopping online more than they did pre-pandemic.
Godiva is expected to retain its locations in Europe, the Middle East and China.
Godiva is owned by Yildiz Holding, which is based in Istanbul, Turkey.
In December, Yildiz placed Nurtac Ziyal Afridi at the helm of Godiva long-term after she spent two months running the company on an interim basis.
Announcing the appointment of Alfridi, Yildiz said in a prepared statement that she and her “leadership team developed a three-year strategy to seize new opportunities through Godiva’s dynamic omnichannel structure.”
“We will continue to extend our reach and leverage an omnichannel approach to deliver on our beloved brand, maintaining a strong connection with our fans and ensuring our premium chocolates are more available and accessible to our global consumers,” Afridi said in a prepared statement at the time.
Afridi replaced Annie Young-Scrivner, a former PepsiCo and Starbucks executive, in Godiva’s top job. Young-Scrivner had made a priority of spreading Godiva’s popularity to more mainstream consumer segments.
Yildiz bought Godiva from Campbell’s Soup Co. in 2007 for $850 million, according to Bloomberg.
Godiva was founded in Belgium almost 100 years ago.
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