The economic disaster that brought about the COVID-19 pandemic claimed another victim – the Belgian chocolate manufacturer Godiva.
The Turkish chocolate has announced that by spring it will close all 128 locations for brick-and-mortar mortars, including cafes and retail boutiques, in North America.
Two years ago, the company planned an ambitious plan to open approximately 2,000 cafes worldwide by 2025.
But on Wednesday it was announced that the company is trying to sell its locations or simply close them.
In April 2019, Godiva opened its first cafe concept in New York City. In the twelve months that followed, the company opened dozens of other locations.
Godiva Cafes offers a variety of pastries, including Belgian waffles and chocolate-inspired cookies, according to Food Business News.
The company said the coronavirus pandemic was preventing people from shopping in its places.
Godiva, the Turkish manufacturer of Belgian chocolate, will close all 128 of its brick and mortar stores in North America, the company announced. A Godiva store is seen above in Seventh Avenue in New York City
‘Our brick-and-mortar locations in North America have had a clear purpose since we first opened our doors in this market – to provide a personalized experience for consumers to enjoy some of the world’s most sought-after chocolates, ‘s Nurtac Afridi, CEO of Godiva Chocolatier. .
‘We’ve always been focused on what our consumers need and how they want to experience our brand, so we made this decision.
‘Of course, this decision was difficult because of the care we have for our dedicated and hard-working chocolates that will be affected.
“We are grateful for everything they have done to create amazing moments for our consumers and spread happiness by fulfilling incredible customer service and our values and behavior.”
While Godiva closes its stores, it will continue to maintain a presence in North America.
Afridi said the company offers its products for sale through food, drug and mass sales as well as online stores.
“We make it even easier for our consumers to enjoy Godiva, either by treating themselves or giving gifts, so that everyone can have access to our premium chocolate,” Afridi said.
“Godiva is already available in many retailers in North America, and we will continue to expand our presence there, while always maintaining the first-class quality, taste and innovation we have been known for since our founding in Brussels in 1926.”
Godiva chocolates are seen above at a boutique in Los Angeles in this undated file photo
Godiva owns and operates more than 600 stores in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia.
The company plans to maintain their locations outside of North America.
Last week, the government said Americans cut spending in December for the third month in a row because an increase in virus-free people kept people away from stores during the critical holiday season.
The Department of Commerce said last Friday that retail sales in December fell a seasonally adjusted 0.7 percent from the previous month, which did not expect a decline in Wall Street analysts.
Sales also fell in October and November, even as retailers tried to get people to buy Christmas presents early by offering specials before Halloween.
Friday’s report covers only about a third of total consumption spending.
Services such as haircuts and hotel accommodation, which were severely affected by the pandemic, were not included.
The unexpected decline underscores the problems of the economy as the pandemic worsened this winter.
Employers retired last month for the first time since April.
And the layoffs seem to be continuing, as the number of people seeking unemployment benefits rose to the highest level since August last week.
It has many Americans less money to spend.
But the recent $ 600 stimulus checks sent to most Americans are expected to boost the economy in the coming months.
And as the vaccines spread more widely, economists expect the economy to recover at a healthy pace in the second half of this year.
While Godiva is closing its stores, it will continue to maintain its presence in North America by purchasing its products through food, drug and mass stores as well as online stores.
So far, retailers have reported mixed results for the holiday season.
The big box retailer Target, which sells groceries, fashions and cleaning products under one roof, said sales rose during the holidays as virus-prone people sought one-stop shopping.
Meanwhile, chains commonly found at malls such as Nordstrom, Victoria’s Secret and Urban Outfitters have reported a drop in sales.
The Department of Commerce said sales even fell online, by nearly 6 percent, after rising 19 percent for the year.
This may be due to Amazon, which held its annual Prime Day sale in October this year for the first time, which probably made people buy earlier in the season and would spend less in December, analysts at Wells Fargo Securities said.
Walmart, Target and Best Buy followed Amazon’s lead and offered competitive discounts to coincide with Prime Day.
At restaurants and pubs, sales fell 4.5 percent in December, while states ate personally, up 21 percent.