Godiva Chocolatier is closing all of its 128 North American stores and cafes by the end of March, including its sole Indiana location at the Fashion Mall at Keystone, the retailer announced Thursday.
An employee at Godiva’s Fashion Mall location said staffers learned the news on Wednesday. The Fashion Mall is expected to close Feb. 15, the employee said, though that date is subject to change.
Godiva said it will still sell its products in North America both online and through third-party retail stores such as grocers and drug stores, and it will continue to operate its retail stores in Europe, the Middle East and China.
The company said it decided to exit its North American stores because, even though its customer base here is growing, “demand for the in-person shopping experience offered through Godiva’s brick-and-mortar locations has waned as a result of the pandemic and its acceleration of changes in consumers’ shopping behavior.”
Godiva previously had operated a long-standing location in Circle Centre mall—the chocolatier opened there in 1995 and was one of the mall’s original tenants—but that location closed in February 2018, leaving the Fashion Mall location as its only store in Indiana.
In 2019, Godiva announced its plans to open 2,000 cafes worldwide where it would sell coffee and other beverages, ice cream and baked goods. Currently, Godiva’s website lists only seven café locations.
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For years, Godiva was my favorite brand and friends knew it, with gifts pouring in for me every Christmas. However, Godiva has cheapened the brand by decreasing the box sizes and selling practically everywhere, even at your local Walgreens. Some Hoosier chocolatiers are just as good, if not better.