Portugal: Danone & Compal launch yoghurt with a straw
Danone, together with Sumol+Compal, the owner of the Um Bongo brand, has created a new liquid yoghurt for the Portuguese market designed to be consumed through a straw, according to a report in Grande Consumo. The new yoghurt, which comes in a conventional plastic pot, is said to target children’s lunch boxes and features characters […]
Ireland: Mondelez to close factory in Tallaght
Mondelez International, the owner of the Cadbury’s brand, has announced that it is to close its production site in Tallaght in Ireland by the end of 2015 as a results of falling global demand for gum products. The closure of the plant will reportedly imply the loss of more than 60 jobs. Meanwhile, it is […]
Denmark: Gosh to launch spring / summer nail varnish shades
Denmark based make-up and body care company Gosh Cosmetics is reportedly launching new nail varnish shades for the spring-summer season 2015. The new nail varnish range is claimed to be suitable for all skin tones and nail styles. The seven new shades, specially designed for the warmer months, are named Snow White, Sea Foam, Sunkissed, […]
UK: Diageo and Thinfilm unveil the “Smart Bottle”
UK-based alcoholic beverage firm Diageo and Norway’s Thinfilm, a leading company in the development of printed electronics and smart systems, have announced that they are to unveil a”smart bottle” prototype for Johnnie Walker Blue Label Whiskey during the Mobile World Congress taking place in Barcelona in early March. According to the companies, the new bottle […]
Germany: Kaufland enters race to acquire Kaiser’s Tengelmann stores
Leading supermarket chain Kaufland has entered the race to acquire Tengelmann’s Kaiser’s Tengelmann stores, according to a report in Focus. The move comes after competition authorities objected to a proposed takeover by the Edeka chain which was announced last October. At the time, Tengelmann said that Edeka would be taking over both Kaiser’s retail outlets […]
UK: Burton’s Biscuits launches new adult-oriented Jammie Bakes
Burton’s Biscuit Company has released a new version of is Jammie Dodgers biscuits targeted at an adult audience, according to reports in The Mirror and Bakery Info. New Jammie Bakes are described as a “crispy, golden biscuit with a soft, jammie centre” and come in raspberry and apple varieties. Commenting on the launch, David Costello, […]
Italy: Drogheria & Alimentari to be acquired by McCormick
McCormick, a leading US producer of spices and flavourings, has announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire 100% of the shares of the Italian company Drogheria & Alimentari (D&A). Founded in 1880, D&A has approximately 120 employees and a manufacturing facility located in Florence, Italy. Like McCormick, the company is active in […]
Switzerland: Nestle reports organic growth in 2014
Switzerland-based multinational Nestle has released its financial statement for 2014, showing an increase in organic sales over the prior year period. Nestle said that total sales of CHF 91.6 billion ($96.9 billion) for the year represented 4.5% organic growth and 2.3% real internal growth over 2013, despite an actual fall of 0.6% due to negative […]
UK: A.G. Barr acquires Funkin cocktail brand
A.G. Barr PLC, the soft drinks group behind brands such as Irn-Bru, has announced that it has acquired Funkin Limited, a UK-based producer of cocktail products. A.G. Barr said that it had purchased Funkin from its founding shareholders for an initial cash consideration of £16.5 million ($25.3 million) plus up to a further £4.5 million […]
Germany: Lidl predicts record turnover in 2014/15, announces plans for 2015/16
Discounter retailer Lidl is predicting record turnover for the 2014/2015 financial year, according to reports in Handelsblatt and Stimme. In an interview with Wirtschaftswoche, Matthias Raimund, General Manager of Lidl’s German arm, predicted that sales were likely to rise to a new high of €18 billion ($20 billion) for the year ending February 2015. Commenting […]