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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW with GODIVA

2022 marks the 50th anniversary since Belgian chocolatier GODIVA landed in Japan. Today it is the company’s biggest market in the APAC region. To celebrate this milestone, Retail in Asia had the pleasure to interview Jerome Chouchan, CEO GODIVA Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and Manufacture Belge de Chocolats. Together we discussed the brand’s expansion in the region, the recent launch of GODIVA Cafés, localisation and the brand’s future plans.

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RiA: You joined GODIVA Chocolatier Japan in 2010. Can you tell us more about your early days at GODIVA and how the brand and business have evolved in the region since 2010?

Source: GODIVA

Jerome: When I joined GODIVA Japan in June 2010, the brand was established and perceived as a safe choice for gifting for a middle age clientele. Since then we have rejuvenated the brand to make it more relevant and vibrant for a younger clientele, and implemented an innovation strategy. This innovation strategy was built around four categories of products : chocolate of course, baked goods, ice cream and drinks, which are distributed through an omni channel business model, from famous department stores, boutiques in shopping malls, up to convenient stores and supermarkets. This strategy has resulted in a strong growth and we have more than tripled our sales and profit since 2010.

RiA: Parts of GODIVA’s APAC business were acquired by MBK Partners in June 2019 as part of a global strategy to grow the GODIVA business five-fold. How are you working with MBK and which countries are you supervising now?

Jerome: In 2019, MBK Partners acquired the part of GODIVA business that consists of the sales territory of Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand, as well as our chocolate manufacturing plant in Belgium. We are working with MBK Partners in a great collaborative spirit, and they are bringing us their retail expertise in the region. We have a strong growth plan, and they enable us to invest in exciting projects in our region.

Source: GODIVA

RiA: In 2019, GODIVA announced its plan to open up to 2,000 cafes worldwide by 2025. In the meantime, COVID-19 happened, do you still plan to roll out these cafes? Where are they located in your region?

Jerome: We have opened our first full Café in the center of Tokyo in 2020. In 2021, we opened successfully five more Cafés and 6 new Cafés are planned this year in Japan, as well as our first Café in Seoul in South Korea.

Our Cafés in the region are offering a full line of food and drinks in an inviting atmosphere. You can enjoy delicious food and drinks that are created by Chefs, and that cater to many occasions, from healthy snacks to indulgent desserts.

Source: GODIVA

RiA: GODIVA is a Belgian brand and yet Asian consumers have different tastes than their Western counterparts. Has GODIVA changed some recipes to adapt to different tastes across Asia Pacific?

Jerome: A delicious product is delicious everywhere. When they create new products, our Chefs do not think of a special cultural preference in terms of taste and recipe. However, we found out that the visual aspect is very important in this part of the world, so that we take this into consideration, both in the product itself and the packaging.

We are also putting a lot of effort into adapting to the seasons, because consumers really enjoy seasonal products. As a result, our product innovation pipeline is the strongest in APAC, and we are launching products that are only available here such as our sables and cookies range as well as our collection of soft ice cream and seasonal flavors of our Chocolixir drink.

RiA: With the pandemic, customers have turned to online shopping. How are you engaging consumers at this specific moment in time and how do you encourage them to try new recipes or products?

Jerome: Our online business has been growing at a 30 percent CAGR in the past three years. We have invested in this channel with the building of infrastructure such as a customer data platform that enables us to customise our offer and to make it more convenient to shop online. We have also encouraged a seamless approach between online and offline, so that consumers interact with us through multiple touch points and occasions.

RiA: Your products are very well-known for gifting, what are the major festivities that drive sales in APAC and how do you work to celebrate them?

Jerome: We are very strong in gifting, but recently we are seeing a strong growth in what we call “self treat” where consumers enjoy rewarding themselves with a little luxury from GODIVA. We have developed new products to answer that demand with appropriate size and products that fit impulse buying such as ice cream, drinks, assortments of a few cookies, chocolates that are priced at JPY 1000 (US$ 8.66) or at JPY 500 (US$ 4.33) such as tablets, G cubes collections, and chocolate pearls.

Source: GODIVA

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RiA: What’s next for GODIVA in APAC?

Jerome: We are very bullish about our Café expansion, which enables consumers to enjoy the world of GODIVA for themselves and their friends and families. We are targeting to open 50 Café in Japan by 2026. As a company, we are also targeting in the coming years to be listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.