Swiss chocolate brand Läderach has opened a new storefront at the Yorkdale Shopping Centre in Toronto.
The 773 square-foot location was the former home of Godiva Chocolate which closed all 128 of its North American locations as part of a January 2021 strategic decision as a result of buying habits of consumers during the pandemic. Läderach secured the leases of more than 30 Godiva locations as part of an asset purchase agreement, which included the four new stores.
Läderach has two other locations in the Canadian market, with a flagship at CF Toronto Eaton Centre and a store at York Mills in North York. In addition to the new Toronto store, the brand announced that it will be opening three stores in the United States over the next two weeks, bringing the total North American stores to 37.
“This Valentine’s Day, and throughout the year, chocolate lovers deserve the best,” said Nathanael Hausmann, president, Läderach North America.
“That’s why we’re excited to continue to open new shops across the US and Canada to provide the ultimate fresh chocolate experience. At Läderach, it’s what drives us every day to ensure the highest quality of freshness and craftsmanship in our chocolates, from bean-to-bar-to-the-store.”
Läderach retail stores feature the iconic FrischSchoggi™ (fresh chocolate) counter, which showcases large slabs of chocolate bark. Elias Läderach, the reigning World Chocolate Master, leads production and innovation for Läderach’s chocolates. The brand creates all the products in a “bean-to-bar” in-house production facility in Switzerland before shipping to the 100+ stores worldwide.
The Yorkdale location is in the Northeast corner of the shopping centre, which includes anchors Hudson’s Bay and Harry Rosen. The area recently added a new Athleta location, as the former Nike location was available after the brand moved to the former Home Outfitters two-story storefront.
Mary Mowbray of Colliers represents Läderach in Canadian lease negotiations.
