By the end of 2021, in just two years from arriving in North America, and amidst a pandemic, Läderach – chocolatier suisse will have opened more than 30 brick-and-mortar locations from coast-to-coast. In November alone, these new openings include:
- Natick Mall in Natick, Massachusetts (near Boston)
- Stonebriar Centre in Frisco, Texas (near Dallas)
- 745 7th Avenue in New York City (near Times Square)
- A boutique at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, California (Southern California)
Läderach will continue its retail expansion in North America with the announcement of new store locations through March 2022. Each Läderach store or boutique delivers the ultimate fresh chocolate experience with more than 85 varieties of fresh, artisanal chocolate delivered directly from Switzerland to awaken the five senses (sight, sound, touch, scent and taste).
Upon arrival at Läderach, chocolate lovers are greeted by the iconic FrischSchoggi™ (fresh chocolate) counter, featuring multiple varieties of chocolate slabs that can be snapped by hand and sold by weight. Additional fresh chocolates include a wide selection of pralines & truffles, single-origin tablet bars, chocolate popcorn, seasonal collections, and the coveted Masters Collection. The Masters Collection includes the chocolate bonbon mandarine, a miniature masterpiece created by Elias Läderach, which won first place in the praline category and helped him win the 2018 World Chocolate Masters. Elias Läderach leads production and innovation, and all chocolate is made from bean-to-bar in house, finished by hand, and brought directly to its 100+ stores worldwide. Because the company controls the entire production and distribution channel, Läderach’s product freshness is second-to-none.
“The demand for premium fresh chocolate continues to grow in North America, and it’s even stronger when it can awaken all the five senses and bring joy to everyday moments in life,” said Nathanael Hausmann, president, Läderach North America. “It’s what drives us at Läderach to create the freshest and highest quality chocolate possible and bring it to life in a memorable experience, especially as society returns to shopping this holiday season.”
According to The National Confectioners Association, consumption for premium chocolate grew from 23-27% and for fine chocolate, consumption grew from 5-7% between 2018-2021. Additionally, engagement with fine chocolate is growing. Among Americans who consume fine chocolate at least on occasion, 19% consume fine chocolate frequently or almost exclusively. This is up significantly from 11% in 2018.
Läderach started its western expansion in November 2019 with an entry into New York City, Toronto and London. In December 2020, Läderach opened its largest and 100th global store on Fifth Avenue in New York City. On Valentine’s Day in 2021, Läderach announced an asset purchase agreement to assume the leases of more than 30 Godiva locations in the US from coast-to-coast.
Läderach’s success and momentum to expand is only possible through the passionate drive of its diverse 1,300 employees, from over 50 countries who represent various backgrounds, beliefs and lifestyles. Mutual respect, diversity, inclusiveness and freedom of expression, and transparency are at the heart of Läderach amongst its employees to make the best chocolate possible.
