UK: Coca-Cola merges European bottling firms
Three European bottlers of Coca Cola have agreed to merge to create Coca Cola European Partners (CCEP), a new entity which will generate over $12 billion per year across 13 European countries. The new bottling company, which will be based in London, combines Coca Cola Iberian Partners (CCIP), Coca Cola Enterprises and Coca Cola Erfischungsgetranke […]
UK: The Jerky Group and Cruga to merge
Snack manufacturer The Jerky Group has signed a merger deal with Cruga, a producer of meat snack, which is said will create the biggest manufacturer of beef snacks in Europe. The two merged companies, which have already worked together for the past for 10 years, will now operate as the Meatsnacks Group with an 80% […]
Germany: Rotkappchen enters the rum category
German sparkling wine company Rotkappchen has entered the rum category by acquiring the brands Asmussen Rum, Balle Rum and Boddel Rum. The company, founded in 1856 by three partners Moritz & Julius Kloss & Carl Foester, has acquired the brands through its subsidiary Nordbrand, a spirits business, from the company Drinks & Food GmbH. Drinks & […]
Switzerland: Migros looking to buy 130 Kaiser’s-Tengelmann stores in Bavaria
Swiss cooperative Migros is entering the race for stores in the German Kaiser’s-Tengelmann supermarket chain, which have recently been put up for sale. Migros is already present in Germany through the supermarket chain Tegut and is now seeking to purchase 130 Kaiser’s-Tengelmann stores to expand its reach in the country. Speaking to the Swiss magazine […]
Netherlands: Mars to invest €100 million in chocolate factory
Chocolate manufacturer Mars has announced that it will invest around €100 million ($110 million) in the expansion of its Veghel plant in the Netherlands over the next 10 years. In the latest of Mars’s factory expansion announcements, Mars will undergo the six-phased expansion and modernization in order to increase capacity at the plant to manufacture […]
UK: Tesco to discontinue some Ribena, Rubicon and Capri-Sun branded drinks
Tesco, the UK’s largest supermarket chain, has announced plans to cease stocking some ‘lunchbox-size’ high-sugar fruit drinks and juices as part of a stated campaign against childhood obesity. From the beginning of September and coinciding with the new school year, Tesco is planning to remove single-serve packs of Ribena (owned by Suntory), Rubicon (owned by […]
Spain: Trabanco Group launches cider with interactive label
Spanish cider producer Trabanco Group has launched a new interactive label which allow the consumer to obtain information about its Sidra Avalon products and to access an m-commerce platform using a free app. Claimed to be the first cider to feature an ‘invisible’ QR code, the product allows users to access the m-commerce site by scanning the label […]
Austria: Mona Group to be acquired by Hain Celestial
Hain Celestial, a natural and organic food and healthcare company, has announced the acquisition of Mona Group for an undisclosed amount. “This acquisition increases the scale of our plant-based operations to over $100m net sales in Europe in a growing category of branded and private label products, while providing us with additional manufacturing capacity”, Hain […]
Germany: Drogerie Markt moves into online retail
Drogerie Markt (DM), Germany’s leading retailer of health & beauty products and housewares, is expanding for the first time into online retail, according to a report in Lebensmittel Praxis. Launched on the 14th July, the e-commerce platform allows consumers to choose from a range of 11,000 products that is similar to that available in DM’s […]
France: Systeme U set to expand convenience business
French supermarket chain Systeme U is set to expand its convenience business with the aim of generating over €3 billion ($3.3 billion) from convenience store sales by 2020, according to articles in Rayon Boissons and ESM. To achieve this objective, the retailer is reported to be establishing a dedicated team with a view to launching […]