EXCLUSIVE: Godiva Reinvents Its Legacy Ahead of Its 100th Anniversary

At 100 years old, Godiva is rediscovering its history.

This year the brand is launching its Belgium Heritage Collection, utilizing tried and true recipes created with new innovations, before to jumping back into interacting with its consumers in the U.S. Two Godiva pop-up boutiques are set to open in Los Angeles and New York City with consumers across the country able to meet the brand at Godiva pink trucks, which are ready to hit the road and spread joy across states.

Steve Lesnard, president of Godiva, told WWD that the company is “focused on continuing to recruit new consumers with new flavors, combinations, chocolate experiences and finding meaningful ways for them to connect with our brand.” Notably, the former Nike executive joined Godiva in May, bringing his expertise as a consumer brand-builder to reinvigorate the brand ahead of its centennial anniversary in 2026.

Lesnard describes the Godiva consumer as someone in search of deeper and richer experiences and willing to pay more for quality, while staying keen to try new things, explore other cultures and share a positive outlook. “To put it more simply, they appreciate the fine things in life, as many of us do. While the core Godiva consumer is typically a more mature consumer who has long held the brand in high esteem, we are also seeing younger consumers looking for a premium chocolate experience through our café business around the world.”

To celebrate where Godiva stands today, the brand aims to honor its past starting in 1926 Brussels. With many growth moments throughout history, one that stands out is the company’s participation after World War II when it sought to “bring a moment of bliss to their fellow Belgians” by painting a fleet of delivery trucks in bright pink and delivering chocolate.

“This sense of responsibility to bring joy through chocolate and humanity is something that has remained a throughline for our brand and our story for nearly a century,” Lesnard said. “These moments reflect not just our history but our continuous evolution as a brand while staying true to our founding principles of premium quality and craftmanship. Now, we are planning for our next milestone in 2026 — our centennial celebration. And Godiva’s fans can expect even more in the next year that places us in the center of the cultural conversation.”

Ahead of the milestone, Godiva’s debut of its heritage collection in the U.S. will be the most premium assortment of Belgian chocolates and confections that the brand has ever offered its American fans.

“This collection is made up of pieces that emphasize the adventurism of Belgian chocolate-making and the premium packaging that Eugénie made us known for, with an Art Nouveau flourish that nods to the design of our early boutiques,” Lesnard said. “This collection is an ode to innovation. It’s a unique assortment of Belgian-made chocolates that will delight the most discerning chocolate palettes and the first step in our commitment to exponentially increasing the cadence of Godiva’s limited-edition flavors.”

Having closed all of its retail locations in the U.S. during the pandemic, Godiva’s pop-ups coming soon to Los Angeles and New York City, will give the brand a chance to refresh its approach in the U.S. market. Calling the pop-ups the Godiva Residency, Lesnard said the spaces will be a “critical step toward reimagining the future of Godiva in the Americas.”

“Our Godiva Residency will give us the opportunity to provide a rich and deep Godiva experience for our customers,” Lesnard said. “At Godiva, we are devoted to chocolate — you could say that we are obsessed. It’s important to us that this passion is palpable to consumers when they enter our boutiques and cafés around the world. Globally, what we have found is that customers look to retail to create magical moments of discovery and delight — it’s not just a simple transaction. Creating a space where one can truly come face-to-face with Godiva, see the artistry of chocolate in action and find new flavor combinations as we do every day.”

For those not in the cities hosting Godiva Residency locations this holiday season, Godiva’s pink trucks, or as Lesnard calls it the “Gold Ballotin on wheels,” will bring tradition to fans starting in New York City on Dec. 9. The trucks will then travel to Tampa, Fla., where Godiva has partnered with a local disaster relief organization to support their efforts to rebuild.

According to the company, Tampa is home to “one of the largest groups of loyal Godiva fans, and in addition to a $25,000 donation, [Godiva] will also be bringing joy to local volunteers with [its] bespoke chocolate.”

As far as plans for permanent Godiva brick-and-mortar locations in the U.S., Lesnard said that “when the moment is right, we will unveil our next step in reenergizing our brand.”