Report: Starbucks is interested in buying chocolatier Godiva

Should Starbucks indulge in Godiva, it would be a departure from its modus operandi, says the Wall Street Journal. It would be by far the largest acquisition in its 20-plus-year history. "There is some logic to the combination. Starbucks knows retail, and the two premium brands would complement each other," the paper notes. "Still, one expert cautioned that the odds are against Starbucks buying Godiva." (Wall Street Journal)

Comments

[B]

I knew a manager in Boston who left Sbux to open a Godiva Hot Beverage concept store in the Prudential Center. He lasted about a month, then came back to Sbux saying they had horrible management (at least the level he dealt with) and gave him no support. I think Godiva could thrive under our current corporate structure even profit/money focused as it.

[kitty]

I would love to see this.
When coffee dreams it dreams of chocolate...but our (SBux) chocolate is piss-poor.

It would be a great merger...but I'm just looking out for me on this one ^-~

[BOSTON STARBUCKS REBEL]

It is true that Starbucks Godivia have completely different corporate cultures. However, I believe that most would come to appreciate Starbucks. However, would Godivia operate under a separate brand as found in like Seattle's Best or would it be completely assimilated into Starbucks with them just another department? I suppose that is getting ahead of ourselves, but who knows.

[STARBUCKS GEISHA BOI]

I was just told about this too and was wondering how good GODIVIA is in terms of Corporate Social Responsibility. Will we only purchase cocoa from places that adhere to C.A.F.E. Practices?

[barista]

I can't believe such a combination never crossed my mind.

...odds are against starbucks?

[harajuku_lover]

i thought starbucks already owned them

[DT]

does Campbell's even want to sell Godiva USA?

[DT]

"Still, one expert cautioned that the odds are against Starbucks buying Godiva."

isn't starbucks already teaming up with hershey?

[Chantal Marie Hernandez]

I am also beginning to sense something fishy about Boston Starbucks Rebel and "Starbucks Geisha Boi."

I'm gonna go ahead and assume that they are the same - uh - individual. As for the "CAFE" practices, I have talked extensively about how my extended family in Nicaragua was screwed over by Starbucks in that respect, so I don't think I have anything fresh to add.

[Pat Nerr]

Hershey's and now an interest in Godiva... just insane. Operating in a state of willy-nilliness and yet still looking for things to tap the toe in the water over...

Keep your eyes on Howie folks... If you can stay right with him as far as when he dumps his Starbucks stock, you'll be golden, as he still has an armload

[anonymous]

I gotta tell you I don't know which is worse, listening to patt nerr go on and on about how starbucks sucks and how he was the greatest partner ever. Or hearing Lilith tell us how she LOVES the company yet posts crap like this on pattnerrs site

"But I guess I'm not surprised. They can't seem to "plan and organize" their way out of a paper bag."

I am sick to death of fake ass two faced people.PatNerr can't stay off this site, yet he puts the company down at every opportunity, and lilith, I just think you are two-faced.

[anonymous pat nerr]

Starbucks could stop handing out such great opportunities to be critical of them... just a thought.

Or you could just go to Starbucks.com if you wanna see one side of the coin...

just sayin'

[ex-sbuxmanager]

Webmaster,

Can you please ban every former or current employee who has something negative to say about Starbucks? I mean, I am so sick and tired of reading their "fake-ass" and "two-faced" posts AND I can't choose for myself to not come to this site and/or not read their posts. Please do something about this straight away. Howard's fragile ego is deteriorating quickly from all the negativity. And we don't need the stock going down any further.

[Jim Romenesko]

EX-SBUXMANAGER is being facetious, of course, but all points of view about Starbucks are welcome here. All I ask is that you avoid personal attacks.

Jim
STARBUCKS GOSSIP Webmaster

[Kat]

Personally I think it's a good move on Starbucks to hook up with Godiva. What's better with coffee than chocolate? Not much in my book, and Godiva makes some pretty good chocolate, better than Hershey's.

[ex-sbuxmanager]

"but all points of view about Starbucks are welcome here."

Thank you webmaster.

Did anyone else notice that in a post condemning Pat Nerr and Lilith, Mr. Anonymous quotes something that Lilith posted on Pat Nerr's site, thereby proving that he (Mr. Anonymous) reads it.

Yet another example of the definition of irony.

[Venti With Room]

Three things are certain in this world -- death, taxes, and Pat Nerr swooping in to Starbucks Gossip with his drive-by criticisms of management and his stories about the good ol' days when he ran his area and by God, they KNEW how to make a latte, and moreover they walked uphill both ways in the snow to get to the store on time to help serve the customer better...

There are definitely synergies between the coffee and chocolate markets, but the price would have to be right for this to work. The Godiva brand has a more exclusive cache than Hershey's, but I don't know whether the price is right for this to happen.

[Pat Nerr]

Thanks for the callout Ex-Sbuxmanager... I too noticed that the was very willing to take Lilith's comment out of context without including the part about my post mentioning how many Starbucks stores were not shipped Christmas Blend for sampling at their holiday meetings...

I've certainly taken plenty of personal attacks on this site and I welcome it... I mean, all those years of walking up hills both ways in the 100 degree heat have conditioned me.

[BOSTON STARBUCKS REBEL]

Starbucks and Godiva get it on and then we can have some sweet chocolate loving.

[Renaissance_Girl]

I wonder if they would change the mocha they use in their drinks to a Godiva mocha? I am not a fan of Starbucks mochas or hot chocolates even though I love them at other cafes (shhh... don't tell that I sometimes check out the competition)

[Scott]

What that is popular and could be easily marketed in their stores isn't Starbucks interested in buying!

[Thinksdifferent]

The union of starbucks coffee and godiva chocolate for all starbucks beverages seems like a match made in heaven. If that were to happen, I would absolutely go to starbucks more, especially for mocha's, because starbucks current chocolate tastes like ass. They seriously need to ditch hershey because their chocolate is BARELY a step above starbucks chocolate, which pales in comparison to godiva. I can see nothing but moneymaking opportunities for starbucks with this one.

I wish Starubucks would partner up with Nutella (or whoever makes it). It makes a KILLER mocha, much better than a hazelnut mocha for sure.

oh man, that nutella comment made me think that it would be delicious with the bagels/croissants. i've never seen nutellla in little packages though...

[embean]

Yes, Campbells is selling Godiva.

MMM MMM Good!

First off: Nutella Mochas, just a thought.

Also, I think the Godiva team-up would be great because it would improve the quality of our mochas. We have some pretty good beans (too bad about the lack-luster foam and automatic shots), it deserves some primo-chocolate.

[MD Macchiato]

"When coffee dreams it dreams of chocolate"

Kitty ~ I love that! It's such a romantic phrase. It fills me with warmth and sweetness. I'm def going to use that in my store!

[Renaissance_girl]

I thought everyone and everything dreams of chocolate once in a while? I know I do...

But yes it is a great quote.

[Demonic Sweater]

Starbucks buying Godiva is a remarkably poor idea. If it happens, it would be a red flag for the company and a nail in Jim Donald's coffin.

Buying a chocolate company or partnering with one is an excellent idea. But this should be done only with a super premium and relatively under-heard of brand. Starbucks can then use the power of its brand and its 87,000 trillion worldwide locations to rapidly grow the brand and thus create a lot value.

Godiva is a mid-market brand at best. It is owned by Campbell Soup for god's sake. The chocolate is just average and no doubt an after-thought to the managers who happen to be running the company this week. When was the last time anyone told you hey "check out this great chocolate-'Godiva'. It's awesome." Godiva crap is already everywhere from the freezer at the local supermarket to gift baskets from 1-800-Flowers.com. A premium brand to the mid-market and a middle brow brand to Starbucks' customers. The brand has already been bent over and in every concievable other direction. The Godiva brand is just a whored out used up piece of trash. It stands for nothing. Certainly nothing authentic.

Aligning with Godiva would hurt Starbucks brand and be a sign to consumers that Starbucks too is just another meaningless consumer uber brand which stands for nothing.

Jim Donald wake up and stay away.

[ex-sbuxmanager]

"Godiva crap is already everywhere from the freezer at the local supermarket to gift baskets from 1-800-Flowers.com."

Wait. You mean you can't get Starbucks at the supermarket in two separate places (coffee aisle and freezer case)? You mean Starbucks hasn't partnered with mid-level brands like Kraft and Pepsi? You mean you can't mail order Starbucks from almost every office supply company? Thank God...I must have been dreaming.

[Demonic Sweater]

Godiva is the Paris Hilton of Chocolate.

Yes, Starbucks has done a great job of exploiting its brand but there is still room to grow. The brand does stand for something--great coffee for one.

Godiva on the other hand has already been fully exploited and perhaps peaked---like in 1988. There is no where to take it, nothing to wring from it. It's done. Dead.

Starbucks should not buy a dead thing and try to resurrect it. It should nurture a small living thing and make it big.

Okay so maybe Godiva is an 80 year desiccated version of Paris Hilton.

[Sal]

I wish we had that lovely pumpkin spice latte over here in ireland, ah well....i ve got to say we r still years behind u......but we will get there eventually......Sal

Imagine Godiva chocolate chip cookies!

[JL]

hah how funny that i have worked for Godiva and then after decided to go back to coffee and started working as a barista for starbucks. i think that as two seperate companies, we should stay like that... i love our company yet it seems like were for some reason still afraid of competition.... next well be buying out 7-11's just so we can have everyone come to our coffee houses. it already is ridiculous how much we make ourselves wanted. at times we have so much going on that it overwhelms our customers. just last month i went through about 5 minutes greeting a customer, taking their order and then going through all this mumble jumble of a free song of the day and a starbucks card with two free itunes songs, all the new pastries, new sugar free this and that and the goddamn bogo offers... geez and they want the lovely legendary 3 minutes service? it seems like theyre just coming up with things to do, hmmmm maybe to avoid actually engaging with partners and listening to their opinion. i mean come on... how lame can the partner surveys get? I know that for sure my store does an awesome job of connecting with with each other as well as customers whether it takes 2 minutes or 10. why try to fix something that isnt quite broken

[Just a Cop]

I ask again. Why doesn't Bux buy Krispy Kreme? It'll give them a donut outlet to counterattack Dunkin' Donuts, and can obviously be better run than it is now. The price for it keeps dropping with each passing week, so they should take advantage.

[Darleen]

Just a cop,
Why don't you ask Starbucks?

[Yael]

I think that Demonic Sweater makes a very good point. I think Godiva is a dead brand - it has reached its glass ceiling.

It's last gasping breath was the 'G' line in an attempt to associate its name with artisan chocolates.

Godiva has become ubiquitous and that was its death-knell.

If Starbucks were to buy out someone with the cachet of Michael Recchiutti, now that would be a very different picture...

[chocolatier]

Godiva...used up whore?!!?

[Demonic Sweater]

Apparently, Jim Donald is not stupid enough to buy Godiva. Some Turkish company did. Phew!!