Chocoholic named sole agent for Godiva products in Kingdom

The first Godiva flagship store will be opened in Bangkok at Central Embassy in July.
Andy Farrow, managing director for China and the Pacific Rim at Godiva Chocolatier Asia, said Godiva had a long history and rich heritage and was available through retail stores in more than 100 countries around the world.
“We are not just an ordinary chocolatier, we also provide a luxurious lifestyle to our consumers. We have Godiva Chocolate Cafes in Shanghai, Beijing, the Middle East and London luxury department store Harrods.
“The Godiva Chocolate Cafe is not only a place for people to buy our chocolate, but also provides a place for them to sit down and enjoy chocolate pastries, desserts and chocolate beverages made from premium Godiva chocolate,” Farrow said.
“Supported by a dedicated team, Godiva’s international operations have grown strongly over recent years, with revenue almost doubling over the past four years.
“We are very confident [that] entering new markets including Thailand will continue to drive this growing momentum.”
Farrow said Asia was a dynamic region that played an important role in Godiva’s growth, and would continue to do so in the future.
“Asian consumers recognise brands with 90 years of rich heritage and craftsmanship such as Godiva. As for our Asian mission, we are committed to expand the Godiva network by bringing the world’s ultimate chocolate indulgence to where it is appreciated.
“We have big plans to expand [the number of our] stores across the region to deliver the full experience to all chocolate lovers. We are constantly evolving our recipes and creating new ideas with our top chef-chocolatier team in order to [satisfy] Asian customers. Therefore our chef-chocolatiers are also hosting chocolate schools around Asia to share their knowledge.
“Moreover, innovation is key as one of our marketing pillars. Godiva launches new products and new packages both on an international and localised level to meet the global demand.
“In Asia, Japan is the largest market, [in which we have] operated for more than 50 years. China is a fast-growing market with 69 stores.
“To date, Godiva has invested and operated in HK, Singapore [and] Taiwan. We also have franchises in Macau, Indonesia, Malaysia and Korea.
“The sales [in] Asia [are] really significant, almost 50 per cent of our global sales. We expect the contribution from the Asia region to reach 65 per cent in five years.
“For the Thai market, we expect that the growth will be double-digit every year [over] the next five years. In partnership with Chocoholic, we also plan to expand Godiva into neighbouring countries such as Vietnam, Cambodia [and] Myanmar, since Thailand can be the gateway to these countries,” Farrow said.
Akradej Srichawla, president of Chocoholic Co, a subsidiary of Everest World Co, said Chocoholic was strongly confident in Godiva as the world’s most famous brand for premium chocolate.
Chocoholic has allocated more than Bt10 million to implement several marketing activities such as grand openings to create brand awareness among target consumers and product workshops to enhance brand relationships and stimulate sales. It will focus on online marketing, as social media are the best way to connect with customers.
When it is launched in July, the Godiva flagship store at Central Embassy will be in a boutique cafe format providing a wide variety of product lines such as gift-box collections, chocolate beverages, and a speciality dessert menu.