Luxury chocolatier Godiva closing all its Canadian stores

Luxury chocolatier Godiva has announced it will be closing all its storefronts in North America this year as a result of the pandemic.

In an email sent to Daily Hive, Godiva said it plans to close its 128 brick-and-mortar locations, including the 11 that are in Canada, by the end of March.

“Our brick and mortar locations in North America have had a clear purpose since we first opened our doors in this market – to provide an in-person experience for consumers to enjoy the world’s most exquisite chocolates,” said Nurtac Afridi, CEO of Godiva.

“We have always been focused on what our consumers need and how they want to experience our brand, which is why we have made this decision.”

The company states that the demand for in-person shopping has “waned” due to the pandemic and changes in consumer shopping behaviour.

According to its website, Godiva currently has three locations in Toronto, one in Mississauga, one in Scarborough, two in Ottawa, one in Laval, two in Vancouver, and one in Winnipeg.

“Of course, this decision was difficult because of the care we have for our dedicated and hard-working chocolatiers who will be impacted. We are grateful for all they have done to make wonderful moments for our consumers and spread happiness through incredible customer service and living our values and behaviours,” said Afridi.

Godiva states that they will keep retail operations across Europe, the Middle East and Greater China “in formats that reflect the unique cultural preferences of those markets.”