France: Unilever receives offer for Alsa business
Unilever, the FMCG multinational, has announced that it has received a undisclosed offer from Dr. Oetker, the German pizza, desserts and culinary aids firm, to acquire its Alsa baking and dessert business. Alsa, which was acquired by Unilever in 2010, manufactures over 50 baking products for the French market including pastry aids, recipe mixes and jams […]
USA: Unilever launches “light” Ben & Jerry’s brand Moo-phoria
Ice cream maker Ben & Jerry’s, a subsidiary of FMCG multinational Unilever, has announced the launch of Moo-phoria, a range of ice cream that is described as low in both calories and fat. Advertised as ‘ice cream without compromise’, the Moo-phoria line is available in the USA in the varieties Chocolate Milk & Cookies, Caramel Cookie […]
UK: Tesco planning ‘discount’ chain – reports
Tesco, the UK’s leading grocery retailer, is considering the creation of a new ‘discount’ store chain to counteract the threat of Aldi and Lidl, according to an article in the Sunday Times. The Guardian reports that the new discount stores would seek to match the German discount supermarkets on price, while carrying only 3,000 lines, compared to 25,000 […]
Finland: Valio announces lactose-free ice cream range
Finnish dairy firm Valio has announced that it is re-entering the ice cream market after a gap of 10 years with a new line of lactose-free products. Produced at Valio’s Oulu dairy in northern Finland, and available in stores from this March, the line is promoted as a new alternative within the super premium ice […]
USA: TreeHouse Foods to close facility in Michigan
TreeHouse Foods, a maker of private label food and beverages, has announced plans to close the remaining operations at its facility in Battle Creek, MI, USA. TreeHouse Foods first announced plans to downsize the Battle Creek facility in November 2016. Now, after a first phase of downsizing, the company said it had concluded that it […]
Brazil: Nestle launches Nescafe Smoovlatte powdered drinks
FMCG giant Nestle has introduced a new powdered drink under the Nescafe Smoovlatte brand in Brazil. According to Nestle, the launch is in line with global trends and is aimed at introducing coffee to young adults. The new drink, which marks the entry of the Nescafe brand to the powdered “frappe” category in Brazil, is […]
USA: Albertsons launches Market Street Idaho banner
Albertsons, the US grocery retailer, has announced the opening of a new store concept called Market Street Idaho, to be launched in two locations in the Boise, ID area. According to the company, the new banner will introduce a unique shopping and culinary experience for foodies, inviting customers to “Eat Life Up”. Susan Morris, EVP […]
UK: Arla announces licensing partnership with Yeo Valley
Global dairy company Arla has announced a licensing agreement with UK firm Yeo Valley Dairies, a subsidiary of the Yeo Valley Group, which will give Arla the right to use the Yeo Valley brand for milk, butter, spreads and cheese products. Yeo Valley is the UK’s largest organic brand and the largest family-owned dairy business, […]
UK: Halewood acquires rum brand Dead Man’s Fingers
Halewood, a UK wine and spirits specialist, has announced the acquisition of spiced rum brand Dead Man’s Fingers from Cornwall-based Rum & Crab Shack. The deal takes Halewood’s premium rum portfolio to four brands. The firm also markets Rum Sixty-Six, Liverpool Rum and Sadler’s Peaky Blinder Spiced Rum. Dead Man’s Fingers was created in 2015 […]
USA: Kroger to sell convenience store business to EG Group
Kroger, the US grocery retailer, has announced it has reached an agreement to sell its convenience store business to UK forecourt retail firm EG Group for $2.15 billion. Kroger’s convenience store business operates in 18 states of the USA and includes 66 franchise operations. The stores employ 11,000 associates and operate under the names Turkey […]