Godiva Store Closings 2021: Pandemic Forces Chocolate Shops To Shutter U.S. Locations

COVID-19 has taken another American love away from its people: Godiva chocolate.

Godiva chocolate shops around the U.S., like many other businesses in the country, has felt the effects of the pandemic and are being forced to shut their doors for good.

The 128 stores in the U.S. will be closing within the weeks ahead, Godiva announced.

For those that were banking on grabbing some chocolate goodies for Valentine’s Day, there are no worries. The stores will be open through the holiday so you can grab your chocolate in-store.

Since more people around the country, and the world, have moved to more online shopping and online ordering, brick and mortar stores are seeing a decline in customers, which means a decline in in-store sales.

A few store locations that have closing dates include seven Texas locations that’ll be closing by the end of March, while a shop in Indianapolis will be closing on Feb. 15, Fox News reported.

While these stores may be closing, there are still ways to get your chocolate, just with a less unique experience.

Godiva is already in stores like Kroger, CVS, Costco, Walgreens, Target and more. You can also order it online and have it shipped right to your door.

“Of course, this decision was difficult because of the care we have for our dedicated and hard-working chocolatiers who will be impacted,” CEO Nurtac Afridi said.

“We are grateful for all they have done to make wonderful moments for our consumers and spread happiness through incredible customer service,” he continued.

It’s unknown what will happen to all the in-store employees and whether they will receive any type of benefit or pension for the stores shutting down.