Japan: Japan Tobacco acquires stake in National Tobacco Enterprise Ethiopia
Japan Tobacco, the world’s third largest tobacco firm by market share, has announced that it has signed an agreement with the Ethiopian government to acquire 40% of the total shares in National Tobacco Enterprise Ethiopia, which has a monopoly in Ethiopia, for $510 million. Japan Tobacco outbid a number of competitors in a tender process, […]
Thailand: Prairie Marketing launches My Chewy confectionery brand
A new milk confectionery brand called My Chewy is being made available in Thailand by Thailand Prairie Marketing. a leading importer and distributor of personal care, confectionery and food products. The candy comes in two flavours: one containing matcha (green tea powder) at its heart and the second with a coffee filling. Described as soft, […]
China: Mars partners with Alibaba
Leading Chinese e-commerce firm Alibaba and confectionery giant Mars have teamed up to offer online distribution for Mars products in China, enabling consumers to enjoy “a more convenient and international one-stop shopping experience”. 17 Mars brands including M&Ms, Snickers, Dove, Extra, Pedigree and Royal Canin are set to be sold in China on Tmall.com, a […]
Australia: Treasury Wine Estates divests non-core US brands
Treasury Wine Estates, the Australian-based wine group, has announced that it has divested 12 non-core brands within its US portfolio. The firm, which owns Wolf Blass and Blossom Hill, said that the brands were sold at approximately book value and represented around one million cases of non-core Commercial wine. The name of the buyer was […]
South Korea: Samlip introduces new banana cream croissant
South Korea’s major bread maker Samlip Foods has recently introduced a new croissant with banana flavour under its brand name Sand Farm. This new bread is described as round shaped croissant buns filled with banana cream, and then topped with fruit cocktail and chocolate chips, adding sweet and sour flavour to the buttery taste of […]
Japan: Asahi launches Wilkinson Dry Cola
Japan-based beverage multinational Asahi is to expand its Wilkinson brand of carbonated soft drink range, first introduced in 1904, by introducing a new Dry Cola flavour. Tagged “Carbonation X Cola”, the new variety offers “a new type of stimulation” by combining strong carbonation and “polished” water with a dry cola flavour. The flavour and strong carbonation […]
India: Nestle in product launch push
FMCG multinational Nestle is set to release a swathe of new product launches in India as it seeks to reinvigorate its business in the country in the wake of the Maggi instant noodles controversy, the Times of India reports. According to the newspaper, the Swiss-based firm will be launching around 25 products across a range […]
China: Walmart partners with JD.com in e-commerce initiative
Walmart, the leading supermarket chain in the US, and JD.com, China’s largest e-commerce company by revenue, have announced the formation of a strategic alliance “to better serve consumers across China through a powerful combination of e-commerce and retail”. The agreement between the companies includes a wide range of business initiatives, covering both online and offline retail. […]
Australia: Aldi arrives in Western Australia
Aldi, the discount retail chain, has opened new outlets in Perth, the first four of 70 planned supermarkets for western Australia, according to a report in Inside Retail. Aldi’s Australian website lists a total of four stores now open in the Western Australia region, located in Belmont, Kwinana, Lakeside Joondalup and Mirrabooka Square. A further […]
Japan: Asahi and Calpis brands in drinks collaboration
Asahi, the Japanese drinks firm, is to launch a second edition of its Oishi Mizu Plus (Tasty Water Plus) line in collaboration with Calpis, a brand it acquired in 2012. The new bottled water features the same lactic acid bacteria used in Calpis dairy drinks, which is claimed to offer natural sweetness and obviate the […]