Godiva Chocolatier

Family-run business

Godiva's origins begin in Brussels in 1926 when Pierre Draps began making pralines at a home-workshop to sell in the Belgian department store Sarma, among other retailers. Pierre's three sons, Joseph, Francois, and Pierre Jr., all learned and worked for the family business from an early age. After Pierre's death shortly before World War II, his three sons continued the workshop on the ground floor of the family home in Molenbeek.[16][17][18]

In 1945, the Draps began using the brand name “Godiva.” The name was an idea from Joseph Draps' wife Gabrielle, in reference to the English noblewoman Lady Godiva.[18][19][20] The brothers opened their first shop shortly afterward in the Brussels municipality of Koekelberg (on Boulevard Léopold II). Less than 6 months later, a second shop followed in Knokke.[16][17]

By 1958, Godiva had twenty stores in Belgium and opened its first shop outside Belgium in Paris on the Rue Saint Honoré. That same year, Godiva's chocolates gained international exposure during the 1958 World Exhibition in Brussels.[16][17]

Acquisition by Campbell Soup Company

In 1966, the Campbell Soup Company acquired a one-third stake in Godiva and began distributing the products in the United States for the first time, where they were sold at shopping centers. Campbell operated a manufacturing facility in Reading, Pennsylvania, to produce Godiva chocolate for the American market.[21][22] In 1972, the first Godiva shop in North America was opened on New York City's Fifth Avenue. That same year, Godiva chocolates became available in Japan in a department store in central Tokyo.[23] In 1974, full ownership of Godiva was sold by the Draps Family to the Campbell Soup Company.[24][22][5][25] In the decades following, Campbell greatly expanded Godiva's presence in the United States and around the world.[21]

Yıldız Holding Ownership

By 2007, Godiva had annual sales of approximately $500 million. In August of that year, the Campbell Soup Company announced it was exploring strategic alternatives, including possible divestiture, for its Godiva Chocolatier business; the company said the "premium chocolate business does not fit with Campbell's strategic focus on simple meals".[26] In December 2007, Campbell announced that it entered into an agreement to sell Godiva to Yıldız Holding, which is based in Istanbul, Turkey, and which also owns the Ülker group and the largest consumer goods manufacturer in Turkey.[6][27] The acquisition was completed in March 2008 for $850 million.[28][29]

According to AFR on October 31, 2017, Godiva continued to own and operate more than 450 shops worldwide.[30][31]

In May 2012, Godiva opened Café Godiva[32] in London's Harrods department store, which offers Godiva's chocolate beverages, pastries and chocolates (the café permanently closed by 2022). The company also has a store in the Harrods Food Hall.

In 2016, Godiva celebrated its 90th anniversary and opened its 100th store in China.[33] In 2017, the business opened its first store in Australia, inaugurated its Pierre Draps Chocolate Research & Development Centre in Brussels and opened its North American flagship store at Rockefeller Center in Midtown Manhattan.[34][35] In 2018, Godiva opened its first café-concept in Brussels (permanently closed by 2022).[36]

In Japan in February 2018, Godiva took out a full-page ad in the Nihon Keizai Shimbun financial newspaper, recommending the retirement of the giri choco practice.[37] As part of this practice, women are expected to buy chocolate for their male colleagues, friends, bosses and sometimes family members on St. Valentine's Day. The public's reaction to the ad was generally seen as favorable though some accused the ad as a stealth marketing ploy.[38]

Ownership and operations in four countries sold to MBK Partners

In 2019, a Korean private equity firm, MBK Partners agreed to purchase Godiva’s operations in Japan, South Korea, and Australia (and rights to future expansion in New Zealand) as well as its production facility in Belgium.[39][40] Yıldız would retain the brand ownership in all markets, granting a perpetual license for use of the brand to MBK Partners.[41] The transaction details were not disclosed, but estimated to be 1 to 1.5 billion USD.[42]

Two companies, one brand

Yıldız

In 2019 Yıldız's Godiva opened its first café-concept location in New York City, with plans to open 2,000 more around the world over the next 6 years.[43] In 2021, the company announced the cancellation of its plans to pursue its café concept and the closing of all its physical locations in North America. Godiva also closed most of its retail locations in Europe.[44][45]

In April 2024, the Yıldız-owned portion of Godiva was integrated into the confectionery and snack foods company Pladis, a subsidiary of Yıldız formed in 2016. Under this structure, Steve Lesnard was appointed as President of Godiva.[15]

Its biggest markets are the US and China.[46]

MBK Partners

MBK Partners independently own and operate Godiva in Japan, South Korea and Australia, including 300+ shops selling a variety of products including chocolate, biscuits, cake, ice cream, and drinks. Since 2021, the company has expanded into cafés and bakeries under the Godiva branding.[47][48][49]

Legal dispute against Geneva pub

Lawyers of the company have sent a series of letters warning the Lady Godiva pub in Geneva, Switzerland, that they are infringing upon the chocolatier’s intellectual property, with the latest asking the pub to cease and desist from using the name. Pru Porretta, who was behind the revival of Dame Goodyver's Daye in Coventry, England, where a procession through the city's streets includes Porretta representing Lady Godiva riding a horse, commented, "I think it's very sad. Godiva was a great woman who challenged her husband to stop the terrible things that were happening to the people. I'm sure Lady Godiva wouldn't care for a company which seems to be taking something that wasn't theirs originally and wants to use it for themselves and nobody else. It's about our rich heritage. I would say it's morally wrong".[68]

As of 2025, Lady Godiva English Pub has continued operating in Geneva. Godiva chocolatier has no retail locations in Switzerland.

Misleading marketing and false advertising

Godiva has been accused of falsely advertising its products as made in Belgium in markets in which this is not the case, including the United States. The company has also been owned and operated by non-Belgian food conglomerates since the 1970s. Despite this, Godiva prominently features the text "Belgium 1926" as part of its logo, labels some of its products as Belgian, uses phrases like "Belgian craftsmanship",[69] and implies or claims it is still a Belgian company in its marketing materials.

In 2019, a class action lawsuit in the United States was filed against Godiva alleging false and misleading marketing. In 2022, a New York District court approved a settlement in which Godiva agreed to pay up to $15 million to consumers who filed claims.[21][13][14] Six state attorneys general sent the judge a letter outlining concerns that the terms of the deal allowed Godiva to artificially depress claims, resulting in a claims rate of less than 3%[70] as well as efforts by Godiva to invalidate claims post-settlement.[71]

Child labor

Godiva has been involved in a controversy over chocolate manufacturers' use of child labor in the production of cocoa. Among major global chocolate manufacturers, Godiva was rated the worst in efforts to reduce child labor in their supply chains.[72][73]

Heavy metals found in chocolate

Godiva's milk chocolate was found to be heavily contaminated with nickel in a laboratory test done by the German consumer institute Stiftung Warentest in 2018.[74] A 2022 Consumer Reports investigation found certain dark chocolate bars, including Godiva, have high enough levels of lead that a single ounce per day would put an adult over the level deemed harmful by public health authorities. In 2023, a class action lawsuit was filed alleging Godiva's dark chocolate contains unsafe lead levels.[75]