[ad_1]
Chocolatier Godiva is closing all of its North American stories, including seven locations in the Bay Area.
The massive closure affects 128 stores in the United States and Canada, although its outposts in Europe, the Middle East and China will remain open. The closures will be completed by March, as stores are expected to remain open during the lucrative Valentine’s Day season.
The news comes less than two years after Godiva’s planned expansion of 2,000 cafes worldwide by 2025. Americans won’t be short of Godiva chocolates, however. Products will continue to be sold online, at grocery stores and other retailers that sell their products.
In a statement, Godiva said in-person shopping “has declined due to the pandemic,” which has accelerated “the acceleration of changes in consumer buying behavior.” Many of its outlets were inside shopping malls.
The Bay Area locations closure is:
Livermore: San Francisco Premium Outlets
Palo Alto: Stanford Mall
Pleasanton: Stoneridge Shopping Center
San Francisco: Stonestown Gallery
San Francisco: Downtown San Francisco
Santa Clara: Westfield Valley Fair Mall
Walnut Creek: Broadway Plaza
The company, founded in Belgium in the 1920s, was acquired by the Turkish company Yıldız Holding in 2007. Godiva is based in New York, with its two factories in Brussels and Reading, Penn.
[ad_2]
Source link