Godiva Chocolatier, Inc. is a chocolate manufacturing company based in New York. The company is very popular for its premium range of chocolates, which are shipped to almost all parts of the world. Apart from chocolates, it also manufactures chocolate cakes, biscuits (cookies), gourmet coffee and drinks for every occasion.
History
Godiva Chocolatier, Inc. was founded in Brussels, Belgium almost 80 years ago. The founder of the company was Master Chocolatier Joseph Draps and the company was named after the Lady Godiva legend. Lady Godiva is a legend in the history of England, who was known for her beauty and character. She was the wife of Lord Leofric, the Earl of Mercia of Coventry and dedicated her life to the poor people. Lord Leofric was her husband and he was a harsh dictator. When he imposed a new tax on his people, Lady Godiva protested against it. Lord Leofric told his wife to ride through the town naked and if no one came outside to look at her, he would rescind the tax on his people. Lady Godiva accepted the challenge. She rode through the streets of Coventry naked, but all her people remained inside their houses. Thus, she won the challenge and her husband didn’t impose any tax, cementing her as a part of folklore history.
In 1926, Draps manufactured the first line of chocolates. The first store was opened in Grande Palace in Belgium. He came up with the shell molded designs for his chocolates. Over the years, it improved its designs and packaging. But the company still uses the same traditional recipes that were created by Draps.
Draps soon expanded and opened the first boutique outside of Belgium on the stylish Rue St. Honoré in Paris, France in the year 1958. When it became successful, Draps opened more stores in Germany, United Kingdom and Italy. With this continuing success, the company looked to expand into the United States and began selling its products to the refined Wanamaker’s department store in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1966.
The first Godiva’s chocolate boutique in North America was opened in New York on Fifth Avenue in 1972. The company has continued its expansion to Asian markets including Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore. Today, Godiva Chocolatier, Inc. has boutiques in more than 80 countries across the globe.
Stats
Company headquarters: 355 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY, USA
Ownership: Private
No of stores: 450 stores around the world with 275 in North America.
Annual Revenue: $500 million
No of employees: 2,200
Geography: 80 countries in North and South America, Asia, Europe, Middle East, Caribbean, Africa and Australia
Demography: High income chocolate lovers
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