Godiva is closing all 128 chocolate stores in US and Canada
New York, New York - Chocoholics, stay strong: the luxury chocolatier Godiva has announced it will be closing its 128 store and café locations across North America at the end of March.
The decision comes after a steady decrease in demand for in-person shopping during the coronavirus pandemic.
"They lost between half their business which is done due to tourists, the other 25 percent of the business which is done due to special occasion, and another 25 percent which is done to impulse," Marshal Cohen, chief retail analyst with the NPD Group market research company, told NBC News.
"Where's the business coming from? Everything moved to online with great ease," he explained.
The Belgian chocolate manufacturer is among the many thousands of companies shutting down their stores amid the pandemic. Earlier this month, Macy's informed employees at 45 of its department stores that they will close by the middle of this year.
But that doesn't mean people will have to curb their chocolate cravings any time soon.
Godiva’s sweet treats will still be available online and in partnering grocery stores across the US and Canada going forward. It will also keep its stores open across Europe, the Middle East, and China.
Cover photo: IMAGO / Pacific Press Agency