bstract

In the early 2000s, luxury chocolatier Godiva deployed a theatrical in-store tactic known as “window animation”: live dipping of fresh strawberries in chocolate in full view of passersby. This case explores how the practice worked, why it resonated with customers, and what lessons it offers for experiential retail today.

Godiva window dipping, Brussels Grand Place (2015). Source: Shamrock Diary [5].

Background & Problem

Founded in 1926 in Brussels, Godiva evolved into a global luxury chocolate brand with flagship boutiques in major cities. By the turn of the millennium, the premium chocolate retail market was under increasing pressure. Online shopping offered unmatched convenience, supermarkets began stocking higher-end chocolate, and artisan chocolatiers proliferated.

This posed a critical challenge: physical boutiques, especially those in high-rent, high-traffic locations like Brussels’ Grand Place, Paris’s Saint-Honoré, and New York’s Fifth Avenue, had to justify their existence. They needed to offer something unique enough to draw people into the store instead of seducing them from behind a screen or supermarket shelf [1].

Chocolate-dipped strawberries from Godiva, in the Brussels Grand Place. Source: Pinterest (2019): Brussels-Belgium- Travel-Guide.com [6].

The Concept

Window animation placed a chocolatier or trained staff member in the boutique’s front window, dipping fresh strawberries into molten tempered chocolate.

The experience combined multiple elements:
- Visual theatre: the spectacle of dipping chocolate in real time.
- Aromatic pull: the smell of melted chocolate wafting into the street.
- Instant gratification: strawberries served immediately in branded containers.

The dipped strawberries were first sold in paper cones inspired by Belgian fries, and later also in biscuit ice cream cones, sushi boxes, or ballotins (traditional Belgian chocolate boxes) [2]. These portable formats turned each customer into a walking advertisement. During major tourist events, the spectacle was amplified with decorated cones, seasonal toppings, and appearances by Godiva chefs [2].

The concept was developed and championed by Laurence Koutny, then Marketing & Merchandising Director at Godiva and the global Marketing team, who led its implementation across flagship boutiques [3].

Alternative portable formats for packaging dipped strawberries and other dipped confections. Source: Laurence Koutny.

Implementation

Locations: High-traffic retail areas — both “A1” flagship streets (prime avenues like Brussels’ Grand Place or New York’s Fifth Avenue) and “B” locations (busy but secondary streets and shopping hubs with strong tourist flow) [1].

Frequency: Year-round, with strong performance during summer, balancing chocolate’s off-season with a fresh twist [8].

Staffing: A dedicated team member was often required full-time.

Equipment: Tempering machines maintained chocolate temperature, but were slow to restart and demanding in terms of cleaning and maintenance [9].

Impact

Godiva did not publish official metrics broadly, but internal comparisons show the practice’s effectiveness.

Performance data (2006 vs. 2005): On a broad network of stores, the best performing boutiques, those already experiencing ~+10% annual growth, saw sales increase by an average of +14%, with average transaction growth of +18% and growth in dipping sales of +189% [10].

Visibility: Strawberry cones became an iconic image for Godiva, appearing in tourist photography and social media [5][6][7].

Experience: Reinforced Godiva’s positioning as a luxury indulgence and highlighted craftsmanship [4].

Industry research supports these outcomes. Benchmarks from experiential retail studies show that comparable in-store activations typically deliver:

•           Traffic lift: +15–25% during activation days [11][14].
•           Conversion rate: 25–35% of samplers purchasing, compared to 10–15% baseline [12].
•           Average order value (AOV): +20% uplift through cross-selling [13].

(These benchmarks are from published academic and industry studies; they are not Godiva’s own reported data.)

Commercial and Operational Trade-Offs

Pros:

•           Instant sensory engagement capturing passerby attention.
•           Boosted word-of-mouth in tourist-heavy areas.
•           Flexible cross-selling opportunities and memorable brand expression.
•           Enhanced brand equity: live craftsmanship reinforced Godiva’s luxury positioning.
•           Seasonal product innovation (dipped fruit/ confection, cones, toppings, packaging).

Cons:

•           Labour-intensive and costly in staffing.
•           Less impactful in low-traffic environments.
•           Equipment was slow to restart, and breakdowns were common. Former Godiva employees reported that cleaning was difficult and time-consuming, and stores often had to carry multiple tempering machines as backup to ensure continuity of the dipping service [9].
•           Regulatory compliance added operational complexity.

     A Modern Solution
Today, many of these operational hurdles can be overcome with The Chocolatier Pro, a compact and versatile tempering machine designed for effortless dipping. With automated temperature control, a dishwasher-safe bowl, and easy cleaning, it reduces downtime and staffing needs while ensuring reliability. By simplifying operations, the machine makes experiential retail setups like window dipping more practical and scalable for modern chocolatiers, cafés, and retailers.

Industry Adoption

Godiva’s success with window animation demonstrated the commercial value of retail theatre and inspired wider uptake in the luxury chocolate sector. For example:
- La Véla Jé used multiple window-facing tempering setups for a continuous demo [2].
- Neuhaus staged live chocolate preparation during seasonal campaigns [2].
- Lindt’s Home of Chocolate features a monumental chocolate fountain centerpiece, and chocolatiers customizing chocolate bars in the museum’ shop [15].
- Godiva counters at Selfridges London adopted live dipping as experiential retail theater [16].

Discussion

Godiva’s window animation underscores how retail theatre remains a potent differentiator, especially when online channels dominate convenience. With costs of physical boutiques rising, brands face intense pressure to prove the value of in-store experiences. By bringing the chocolate-making spectacle to the front window, Godiva transformed its stores into places of discovery rather than simple points of sale.

The core strength lies in aligning spectacle with revenue. Unlike branding alone, this activation directly influenced purchase behavior. Yet scaling such experiences requires nimble operations. In modern retail, leveraging compact equipment and amplifying moments via social streaming could revitalize this model.

As the retail mix evolves, the key lesson remains clear: experiential retail works when it's authentic, product-led, and manageable at scale. Godiva’s window animation delivered on the first two, and with today's tools, the third is more within reach than ever.

Although Godiva has closed many of its boutiques in recent years, dipped strawberries remain a signature product in the stores that continue to operate. Their presence on Godiva’s social media [17] shows that the product has endured, even if the practice of large-scale window animation has naturally declined with the reduction in physical retail locations.

Freshly dipped strawberry promoted on Godiva’s official Instagram account (March 11, 2020). Source: Godiva Instagram [20].

Sources

[1] Oliver Wyman, *The E-Commerce Upside*, Retail & Consumer Journal Vol. 7 — highlights 16% annual growth in luxury e-commerce (2005–2010) and the strategic need for experiential differentiation.

[2] Interviews with Laurence Koutny.

[3] Laurence Koutny LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurencekoutny/

[4] iStock photo: Employee dipping strawberries at Godiva Grand Place (2022) – https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/brussels-belgium-godiva-chocolatier-dipping-strawberries-in-chocolate-grand-place-gm1367880136-438012229

[5] Shamrock Diary blog (2015): Godiva Grand Place boutique and dipped strawberries – https://shamrockdiary.wordpress.com/2015/07/04/godiva-chocolate-covered-strawberries/

[6] Pinterest (2019): Strawberry cones at Godiva Brussels – https://www.pinterest.com/pin/469218854900754057/

[7] Pinterest (2024): Chocolate strawberries in Brussels – https://www.pinterest.com/pin/chocolate-strawberries-in-brussels--63824519692072368/

[8] Dipping Sales Seasonality. Laurence Koutny.

[9] Interviews with former Godiva employees (recollections from the 2010s, gathered by the author).

[10] Godiva sales report 2006 vs. 2005.

[11] Krishna, Aradhna. An Integrative Review of Sensory Marketing: Engaging the Senses to Affect Perception, Judgment and Behavior. Journal of Retailing, 2012.

[12] Heilman, Carrie M., Lakishyk, Kateryna, & Radas, Sonja. An Empirical Investigation of In-Store Sampling Promotions in a Grocery Store. Journal of Retailing, 2011.

[13] Nielsen. The Power of Sampling: Measuring Consumer Response to In-Store Sampling, 2016.

[14] POPAI (Point of Purchase Advertising International). Shopper Engagement Research Reports.

[15] Lindt Home of Chocolate (official site). Available at: https://www.lindt-home-of-chocolate.com/en/

[16] Selfridges feature on Godiva strawberries – https://www.selfridges.com/GB/en/features/articles/food/godiva-freshly-dipped-strawberries/

[17] Godiva Instagram (March 11, 2020): Freshly dipped every morning – https://www.instagram.com/p/B9lM8FhH4Pp/