Godiva to Open 2,000 Cafes Over Next 6 Years
Godiva has plans to open 2,000 cafe locations over the next six years, with the first opening in Manhattan Wednesday, reports AP News. The Belgium chocolate maker currently operates roughly 800 boutique stores in 105 countries selling its famed boxed chocolates, ice cream, and drip coffee. The new cafe locations will offer a complete menu of both grab-and-go and freshly prepared items, including coffee, tea, sandwiches, yogurt parfaits, and croiffles — a stuffed croissant and waffle hybrid — with regional menus tailored to local tastes. Godiva will convert some existing traditional stores into cafes and will open stand-alone storefronts as well as airport locations. The brand plans to open nearly 700 of the new cafes in the U.S. and is embarking on an ambitious growth plan to increase revenue fivefold by 2025.
Total Retail's Take: Retailers are making bold moves in the brick-and-mortar space as consumer expectations change and competition grows, with many brands experimenting with new store formats, in-store technologies, and omnichannel services. Godiva is positioning its well-known brand to enter a saturated coffee market with fierce global competitors such as Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts. Consumers know Godiva best as a quality gifting brand for formal occasions, but "we want to expand to everyday consumption," said CEO Annie Young-Scrivner in an interview with The Associated Press. Young-Scrivner believes Godiva's top-quality offerings and deep heritage will allow the brand's cafes to stand out and attract customers looking for quality food and beverages. The cafe-style stores will also help the chocolate brand stay top-of-mind for consumers year-round, helping to address the seasonality challenge of customers who only shop Godiva for holidays and special occasions.
Kristina Stidham is the digital content director at Total Retail and sister brands Women in Retail Leadership Circle and Women Leading Travel & Hospitality at NAPCO Media. She is passionate about digital media and handles video, podcast and virtual event production for all brands. You can often find her at WIRLC, TR, WLT&H or industry events with her camera and podcasting equipment—or at home on Zoom—recording interviews with thought leaders and business executives.
Kristina holds a B.A. in Media Studies and Production from the Temple University Klein College of Media and Communication in Philadelphia. Go Owls! When she's not in the office, she loves to go on long walks, sing around the house, hangout with her family and two pet guinea pigs, and travel to new places.
