Godiva Chocolatier is a manufacturer of premium chocolates and related products. Since 1966, Godiva has been a subsidiary of Campbell Soup Company in the United States.. However, the Campbell Soup Company is set to sell Godiva to the Turkey-based Yildiz, parent company of confectionery and snack firm Ulker.Godiva has more than 270 retail shops in the US, Europe, and Asia and over 2,000 wholesale customers. It also has a direct-sales business through its website or via a toll-free number.Besides chocolates, Godiva also sells truffles, coffee, cocoa, biscuits, dipped fruits, and other items arranged in gift baskets. Godiva's signature package is the Gold Ballotin (French for "small, elegant box of chocolates"). Godiva also produces seasonal and limited edition chocolates with special packaging for all major holidays. Godiva also has license agreements for the production of ice cream, cheesecake, and liqueur that comes in several chocolate-related flavors and contains 15-17% alcohol. Additionally, it co-produces a line of chocolate/coffee blend drinks in cooperation with The Coca-Cola Company called "Godiva Belgian Blends." HistoryGodiva traces its origins to a wholesale chocolatier founded in 1926 in Brussels, Belgium by Joseph Draps. When Solomons' son Joseph took over the company after World War II, the chocolatier established its own shop in Brussels under its present name, a name chosen in honor of the legend of Lady Godiva.The first Godiva shop outside Belgium was opened in Paris in 1958; in 1966, the company's products reached the United States, where it was sold at luxury department stores.. Also in 1966, the Yagudaev family sold a controlling interest in the company to Pepperidge Farm, part of Campbell, which later acquired the rest of the company. Two years later, Godiva began production of its chocolate in Reading, Pennsylvania.By 1988, Godiva had revenues of approximately $100 million worldwide, derived mostly from sales to department stores and other specialty retailers. By 2007 Godiva had annual sales of approximately $500 million.As of 2007, the company's U.S. factory in Reading produces "the same amount of chocolate for the U.S. market as the Belgian plant produces for the rest of the world."In August 2007, Campbell announced it was "exploring strategic alternatives, including possible divestiture, for its Godiva Chocolatier business"; the company said the "premium chocolate business does not fit with Campbell's strategic focus on simple meals". On December 20, 2007, Campbell announced that it entered into an agreement to sell Godiva to Istanbul, Turkey, based Yildiz Holding A.S. which also owns Ülker, for $850 million. The acquisition closing is expected to occur in early 2008. References^ a b c d e f Godiva Chocolatier, Inc. from a profile in International Directory of Company Histories via findarticle.com^ a b c d History of Godiva from the company's "Careers" website^ http://www.belgianblends.com/ (requires Flash)^ a b The History of Godiva Chocolatier, from the company's website^ a b Campbell To Explore Strategic Alternatives For Godiva Business, a Campbell's press release via shareholder.com^ Campbell Agrees to Sell Godiva Chocolatier to Yildiz Holding A.S. for $850 Million