The July 2014 edition of Gama News is now available. Click here to read it now.
The July 2014 edition of Gama News is now available. Click here to read it now.
Dr Pepper Snapple Group, the US soft drinks company, has reported an increase in net income and net sales for its second fiscal quarter despite being hit by consumers switching to diet beverages. Net income increased by 35% on the prior year period to $210 million, while net sales rose 1% to $1,631 million, as a sales volume increase, favourable product and package mix and pricing were partially offset by …
Cereal giant Kellogg has announced it intention to close its plant in Columbus (Georgia) with the loss of 325 jobs. The move is part of a restructuring program named Project K which will reduce 7% of the company’s global workforce over the next four years and which is expected to generate cash savings of between $425 million and $475 million by 2018. “As with any project that impact people, these …
According to RBC Daily, supermarket chain Auchan is looking to open a number of convenience stores in Moscow as it aims to expand its presence in the Russian capital. It is likely that the 100 square metre stores will be developed with franchise partners and as such will be the smallest franchises operated by Auchan worldwide. This will reportedly reduce the risk for the French company as any charges would …
Wal-Mart has announced that it has promoted Greg Foran to president and CEO for its US operations. He will succeed Bill Simon, who will be transitioning out the company, the company said in a statement. Mr Foran will start his new role at the beginning of August, reporting directly to Doug McMillon, President and CEO of Walmart. Mr McMillon said :“Greg is one of the most talented retailers I’ve ever …
Universal Robina, the Philippines-based food conglomerate, has purchased the New Zealand biscuit manufacturer Griffin’s for $700 million, Business Day reports. Griffin’s has around 800 employees and produces brands including Gingernuts, Cookie Bear, MallowPuffs and Nice & Natural from its two factories in Auckland. The company will be acquired by Universal Robina from Pacific Equity Partners, subject to regulatory approval. If the deal goes ahead, it is reported that Griffin’s chief …
Gama spoke to Emanuel Gävert, Global Innovation Manager, Mondelez International. What are your day to day activities as Global Innovation Manager? They are very varied depending on the specific agenda at any given time. A typical month, however, would range from blue sky ideation sessions, consumer immersions, positioning workshops, communications development and leaping sessions through to detailed P&L discussions with specific markets, or cross functional team meetings to resolve executional …
This week Gama takes a look at an in-vogue category in the health and beauty industry – exfoliant powders – with the debut of Boscia Tsubaki Oil-Infused Exfoliating Powder. Boscia Exfoliating Powder, a new launch available in markets including the USA, Canada and Malaysia, is an illustration of the growing interest in powder exfoliants as an alternative to more traditional scrubs and gels. One of a series of products from …
Unilever has unveiled its H1 financial results, revealing that its overall sales have been impacted by slow growth in its food businesses and in emerging economies, as well as declining prices in developed economies. The multinational posted total sales for the first half of 2014 of €24.1bn ($32.5bn), with underlying sales growth beneath analyst estimates at 3.7%. Speaking to Reuters, Unilever’s Chief Financial Officer Jean-Marc Huet commented: “Overall there’s a slowdown …
Agropur, Canada’s largest dairy group, has continued its spate of M&A activity by agreeing to buy American dairy company Davisco International, Food Business News reports. The terms of the acquisition, although not fully disclosed, include Davisco three cheese processing factories in Le Sueur, Minn. Jerome, Idaho, and Lake Norden, S.D., and also an ingredients plant in Nicollet, Minn, the company said. Agropur President Serge Riendeau said “With over $1 billion …
Coca-Cola Co. has reported its sales for its fiscal second quarter, revealing results below analyst expectations. The lower than expected numbers were primarily due to poorer performance in its flagship North American market where demand weakened for Diet Coke, according to media reports. Sales volume in North America was flat despite a significant increase in marketing around the World Cup. Carbonates including Coke, Fanta and Sprite saw gains, but executives …
P&G is planning to debut its Old Spice brand in France, Cosmetics Design Europe and Cosmetics Business report. Focusing primarily on deodorants, the company is intending to retain the tongue-in-cheek marketing for which the Old Spice brand is renowned in the USA. Marketing will feature the “Smell like a man, man” slogan and POS materials explore the brand’s history, the boat logo, and its use of Isaiah Mustafa as the …
Sidel, a Swiss company specialising in PET packing, is looking to shake up alcoholic drinks packaging with the world’s first-ever PET beer bottle that utilizes a ‘champagne’ base more traditionally found on glass beer bottles The bottle, which supports a crown cap, gives the appearance of glass, but with the advantages of PET. It weighs 28 grams, which is up to 86% less than an average equivalent glass bottle, the …
Grupo Bimbo, the Mexico-based bakery conglomerate, has acquired the Ecuadorian bread company Supan, it has been announced. Terms of the deal were not released. The move is part of a move to further strengthen Bimbo’s footprint in the Americas, the company said in a statement. Supan operates in several categories in the bakery industry and produces goods including bread, rolls, and buns. The company has 900 employees across its two …
Hain Celestial Group has acquired the remaining 51.3% of the Hain Pure Protein Corporation (HPP) for $40 million. Announcing the deal in statement, Hain Celestial said it had purchased the remaining amount from an affiliate of Pegasus Capital Advisors. HPP is an antibiotic-free and organic poultry company, with products ranging from fresh and frozen Free Bird chicken and Plainville Farms turkey, to private label products in the USA. In fiscal …
Charal, France’s leading producer of processed and unprocessed meat products, has entered the frozen ready meals market with the launch of four beef products based on classic dishes. According to LSA, in response to consumer concerns about traceability, emphasis will be placed on the origin of the beef used. The frozen meals market in France has suffered in the wake of the horsemeat scandal, seeing a decline in value and …
Discount retailer Aldi is planning to invest £600 million ($1.02 billion) in its UK operations, European Supermarket Magazine reports, as the company seeks to expand its presence in the country. According to a report from The Daily Mail, Aldi will open 60 new stores next year. In addition, it will refit a number of existing stores and its regional distribution centre in Barnsley, as well as building a new regional …
Juan Valdez, the Colombian coffee shop chain backed by the the Colombian Coffee Federation, has opened its first outlet in Florida as it looks to take on Starbucks in the latter’s home market. Procaferol SA, the company which manages the Juan Valdez brand, has plans to open 60 new coffee shops in Florida over the next five years. The first has opened in the centre of Miami with a further …
Dr. Oetker is the frontrunner in the race to acquire the bakery manufacturer Coppenrath & Wiese, according to a source quoted by Lebensmittel Praxis. The German Food, Beverages and Catering Union (NGG) is reported as saying that Dr. Oetker has begun talks, with no other potential buyers currently involved, although the deal is not yet certain. “Dr. Oetker wants to have a good look at the situation, weigh everything up, …
The Coca Cola Company plans to invest $8.2 billion over the next 6 years in Mexico, Food Business News reports. This combined with previous amounts will add up to a total of over $12.4 billion worth of investments during a 10 year period (2010-2020), the company said. The new investment will be allocated to increased infrastructure and production capacity, new jobs, and developing a product range which includes 70 brands …
According to Premium Beauty News, Birchbox has launched its first retail store in New York City after defining itself through an online store and “beauty boxes” sent to subscribers. The store is said to feature 2,000 products from 250 brands including Smashbox, Caudalie, Jouer, Supergoop!, Cynthia Rowley, Baxter of California, Lab Series, and Art of Shaving, with the concept based on insight and feedback from the company’s active subscribers: editorial …
Remy Cointreau, the French maker of luxury cognacs and other alcoholic drinks, has revealed a drop in organic growth of 5.7% for the first quarter of 2014, impacted by falling sales of its core cognac products. The group noted that it was continuing its destocking process in China, where it has been hurt by falling consumption of its luxury cognac brands such as Remy Martin. The Wall St Journal reports …
Danone has announced an agreement with Brookside Dairy Ltd., the leading East African dairy products company, to acquire a 40% interest in Brookside’s holding company. Brookside was established in Kenya in 1993 and runs a distribution platform providing daily access to over 200,000 outlets. The company manages the largest milk collection network in East Africa, with 140,000 farmers in the region, and has over 3,000 employees covering the whole of …
The growing influence of Mediterranean diets in the world of product innovation is brought into focus with the launch of Ametller Mediterranean Yoghurt with Olive Oil, a line which is new on the market in Spain. This week, Gama once again turns the spotlight on the yoghurt category and, in particular, the influence of the ‘Mediterranean’ trend in new product development. Ametller Mediterranean Yoghurt with Olive Oil, launched by Barcelona-based …
Nestle has extended its Pure Life water brand in the USA, with a new fruit-flavoured Exotics range, Just Drinks reports. Described by Nestle as being “made by infusing all-natural essences of exotic fruits into sparkling water”, the range is free from both calories and sweeteners, according to packaging claims. Exotics targets consumers “who are moving away from carbonated soft drinks and other sugary beverages towards water as healthy hydration”, the …
Lindt & Sprungli has acquired the American confectionery company Russell Stover Candies, in a move that will see Lindt become the third largest chocolate manufacturer in the USA. The company announced that the deal would allow it to penetrate further into the American market through brands including Lindt, Ghiradelli, Russell Stover and Whitman’s. Russell Stover Candies was founded in 1923 and is based in Kansas City. The company has annual …
In a move that is set to shake-up the US tobacco market, Reynolds American Inc, the second-largest player in the country, has acquired the third largest, Lorillard Inc for $25 billion, or $27 billion including debt. Reynolds, which owns brands such as Camel and Pall Mall, will now get a stronger foothold in menthol cigarettes through Lorillard’s Newport brand, described by Reuters as a growing brand in a cigarette market …
Waitrose and Auchan have signed an agreement which will see the French-based retail group begin to sell Waitrose brand products in six Auchan stores across Portugal, Talking Retail reports. The agreement will see over 100 private label Waitrose groceries and chilled products made available in six stores in Lisbon and across the Portuguese region of the Algarve. David Morton, Waitrose business to business director, commented: “We are excited to be …
French supermarket group Groupe Casino has released its financial results for the second quarter of 2014, with headline sales at €11.4 billion ($15.5 billion) across the group. Organic growth was reportedly up 6.5% compared to the same period of 2013. While sales were essentially flat in Casino’s domestic market, the group posted stronger growth in its international markets, with total sales of €7.01 billion ($9.51 billion) representing a year-on-year increase …
ConAgra Foods, the American consumer goods company, has agreed to acquire the Chinese potato processor Tai Mei Potato for $93 million, Food Business News reports. The acquisition will expand ConAgra’s Lamb Weston operations, enabling it tap into the growing Chinese market for frozen potato products, the company said. Lamb Weston president Greg Schlafer commented: “We’ve been doing business in China and throughout Asia for more than 25 years, leading the …
Gama spoke to Andre Jacques, Global Innovation & Marketing Services Director, Unicer. What are your day to day activities as Global Innovation & Marketing Services Director? This is a new position, bringing together five different areas: Insights, Category Development, Innovation (project and process management as well as R&D), Interactive Marketing and finally retailer Loyalty Programmes. This means that, besides the challenge of bringing all this together in a meaningful way …
Unilever has announced that it has sold its weight-loss brand range Slim-Fast to the private equity firm Kainos Capital for an undisclosed sum. The transaction, which includes the Slim-Fast trademark and the global Slim-Fast business portfolio, will see Unilever retain a minority stake in the business, the company announced in a statement. The brand is sold throughout North America and in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The announcement comes a …
Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), a food processing and commodity-trading business based in the USA, has purchased the German flavour and fragrance company Wild Flavors. Announcing the acquisition in a statement, ADM said that the deal was an all-cash transaction valued at approximately €2.3 billion ($3.1 billion) enterprise value, including the assumption of €0.1 billion ($0.14 billion) net debt. The acquisition would allow ADM to offer food and beverage companies a comprehensive …
The American coffee company Starbucks has announced that it is opening its first coffee shop in Colombia. The opening, in the capital Bogota, makes Colombia the 62nd country where Starbucks operates. The outlet is be the first of 50 stores that the American company is planning to open until 2018 in Colombia, America Economia reports. Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks, commented: “We want customers get into our stores and immediately …
Quintessential Brands reports that is has acquired Marblehead, the brand development and distribution company. Both companies had been operating in partnership since 2013. Ypioca Cachaca, Don Papa Rum and Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur are among brands recently added to the Marblehead portfolio. Marblehead also distributes the Quintessential gin brands Opihr Oriental Spiced Gin and Berkeley Square London Dry Gin, as well as Bloom Gin in the off-trade. According to …
This week Gama turns its attention to the haircare market – and the growing influence of glamour trends in the health & beauty industry – with the launch of Drybar Gold Mine Shimmering Leave In Conditioner. Recently unveiled for the summer season in the US, Drybar Gold Mine Shimmering Leave In Conditioner is a hair conditioner and cosmetic product highlighting the trend for products which add a touch of “glitz” …
The FIFA World Cup in Brazil is expected to generate revenues of R$ 1.8 billion ($810 million) in retail food and drink sales, according to figures from the Sao Paulo Supermarket Association (APAS). Quoting APAS, Giro News reports that the categories seeing the biggest lift over the four weeks of the competition have been beer, soft drinks, processed meat and barbecue foods. APAS also reports that many fans in Brazil …
UK health & beauty retailer Boots has recently launched a digital app which personalises deals for consumers based on their shopping habits. According to Retail Gazette, the app works in conjunction with the company’s advantage card and will offer customers an alternative to paper coupons within the My Offer feature. Ruth Spencer, Boots Loyalty and Multi-Channel director, commented: “We know that our customers love to receive personalised offers on the …
French supermarket giant Intermarche has announced that it is expanding its own brand of fruit and vegetables called Mon Marche Plaisir (“My Market of Pleasure”). According to Fresh Plaza, the retailer is targeting an increase of turnover in the category to €170 million ($231 million), in order to reach 15% market share by 2015 and to thus become market leader in the sector. The brand is said to use specific …
Walmart is formulating plans to invest in smaller store sizes in an attempt to kickstart growth, according to reports from Giro News and the Wall St Journal. According to Giro News, the company’s mantra of “Everyday low prices” is no longer distinctive and the discounter has seen its price differential with rivals Target and Kroger shrink from 20% to 5% in recent years. The new plan is to open 300 …
Finnish bakery company Fazer Group is to close two of its production facilities in response to falling bread consumption in the country, Yle reports. The firm, which concluded its co-determination negotiations at the end of June, is planning to shut its facilites at Ulvila and Hyvinkaa in the south of Finland. The move will affect a total of 146 workers including supervisory and managerial staff. Facilities located in Vantaa, Lahti, …
Oltan Gida, the largest hazelnut company in Turkey, has been acquired by Italian confectionery firm Ferrero, according to reports. Oltan Gida has been the largest hazelnut exporter in Turkey since 2002, and in 2013 achieved sales of $500 million and total exports of 68,000 tonnes. Earlier this year the company invested TL 100 million in its facility in Turkey’s Manisa province in order to expand the plant’s product range. The …
Groupe Carrefour (Carrefour), the multinational supermarket group, is set to abandon its operations in India, the International Business Times (IBT) reports. Carrefour has been active in the Indian market since 2010 but operated a total of only five wholesale outlets due to the protectionism that has hampered many foreign distributors’ efforts in the country, LSA reports. The regulatory environment in the country, including mandatory sourcing and infrastructure requirements, is described …
Pastry manufacturer Peter’s Food Services has extended its reach into retail frozen products for the first time with the launch of pork sausages exclusively in Tesco stores. Although widely available in foodservice for many years, the Tesco launch is the first time Peter’s sausages will be available for the public to purchase and cook at home, the South Wales company said. The product will be available in a 720g bags …
In a move designed to “promote healthier lifestyles”, Kellogg’s Mexico has reworked the packaging of its flagship Choco Krispis brand as part of a strategy to modernize the brand image. The primary change sees the brand character Melvin the elephant redesigned to become more athletic in appearance. The new packs have been made available from the beginning of July. “We introducing a more friendly, cheerful and charming Melvin, there is …
Pernod Ricard has unveiled plans to launch its first limited edition Absolut vodka in India, the Economic Times reports. The new product will not only be the first time that Pernod Ricard has released a limited edition in the country but will also have a specifically Indian theme. Working in partnership with Talenthouse India, the company said that it would invite artists and creatives to develop the design, with a …
Belgian brewer AB InBev is axing its alcohol-free Jupiler Force brand after poor sales results, Levensmiddelenkrant reports. Launched in 2011, the product was an extension to the male-oriented Jupiler brand line but did not prove popular with consumers, despite alcohol-free beers being on the rise overall. Quoting the Belgian magazine Trends, Levensmiddelenkrant reports that the product has not achieved AB InBev’s internal sales targets. According to a company press release …
The Kids Food Company has announced the launch of its new Wibble Wobbly Jelly Pots range, as it seeks to move its Kiddylicious brand into the toddler desserts category. Described as an innovation for the 12 months and over age bracket, the products comprise fruit flavour jelly that also includes pieces of soft fruit that are vital in building a tolerance for mixed textures, the company said. Said to be …
Private equity firm Brynwood Partners VII has bought the struggling Juicy Juice brand from Nestle USA, Food Business News reports. Specialised in reduced sugar products for children, the Juicy Juice brand has seen its sales drop back in recent years due to increasing concern about healthy products. “We look forward to bringing renewed focus and attention to this great brand that has, and continues to hold, a special place with …
This week Gama explores a new product called Coco Vodka, a flavoured alcoholic beverage (FAB), that illustrates the continuing prominence of coconut water in product innovation. Launched in 2014 in Australia, Coco Vodka is a premixed spirit drink blending triple-distilled vodka and “the fresh water from young coconuts”. Available in an original version as well as varieties flavoured with pineapple and guava, the drink seeks to draw heavily on the …
The supermarket chain Lidl is planning to increase its investments in the UK market with the opening of new stores and a new distribution centre, Talking Retail reports. The move will see Lidl increase its UK store count by 20 to 620 by the end of the year, with up to 2,500 new jobs reportedly being created. The investments form part of a £200 million ($343 million) expansion plan that …
The Swiss chocolate company Lindt has launched its “Hello” confectionery brand in South Africa and is now supporting the launch through a marketing campaign taking place at locations across the country. “Post-boxes” are being set up in malls in several cities in South Africa, with consumers invited to send a postcard with a message to friends or family anywhere in the world. In return, they will receive a free product …
Dia has agreed a deal through which it will acquire 100% of the shares of the Spanish supermarket chain Grupo El Arbol Distribucion y Supermercados (El Arbol), further consolidating Dia’s presence in the Spanish market. The shares have been acquired for the nominal value of €1, with Dia assuming responsibility for El Arbol’s debt, which totals €150.8 million ($206 million). Grupo El Arbol has 455 outlets predominantly sited across the …
Nestle has announced the opening of a new extrusion facility in the 6th of October City on the outskirts of Cairo, Egypt. The plant – the company’s first confectionery facility in the country – will produce Crunch, a candy bar brand owned by the company. The extrusion line is an extension of the existing dry food factory where Nestle produces products for brands such as Maggi and Nescafe, and is …
Molson Coors, owner of the Carling brand, is developing its presence in the flavoured alcoholic drinks with the nationwide UK launch of Carling Fruit Coolers. The new drink, available in Lemon and Grapefruit flavours, is described as a light and refreshing choice, made with a blend of real fruit juice and Carling lager. Sold in packs of 4x300ml bottles, the drinks have 2% ABV and are aimed to appeal drinkers …
Copyright © 2020. Gama. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Legal Notice