Two CEOs either side of the English Channel are cracking on with two of the more unenviable tasks in the sector - turning around French retail giant Carrefour and revitalising UK manufacturer Premier Foods.

Last week, more deal-making was announced at both companies as their chief executives sought to bring more clarity to businesses that had, in different ways, lost their way in recent years.

At Carrefour, Georges Plassat signed off the latest disposal from the world's second-largest retailer. It agreed to offload its stores in Malaysia to Japanese retailer Aeon, the third sale since Plassat took charge in May. Since then, Carrefour has sold its interest in its Greek operations to its local franchisee and sold its stores in Colombia

The disposals are part of Plassat's plans for Carrefour to focus on markets where it has or can carve out a "strong" position. The retailer's operations in markets like Poland, Indonesia and Turkey are under review.

However, it is not just one-way traffic. Bolt-on acquisitions are also being made. In June, Carrefour bought over 100 stores in Argentina and, last week, snapped up a dozen outlets in Belgium.

Plassat comes across as his own man (anyone who witnessed or tuned into Carrefour's half-year results presentation would agree with that) and he seems to have done more to reshape Carrefour in six months than predecessor Lars Olofsson managed in three years.

That said, analysts still want to hear more about Plassat's financial targets for Carrefour and, of course, perhaps his biggest challenge is in France, where the company recently claimed to see signs of improvement but faces fierce competition.

In the UK last week, Premier Foods announced its latest disposal. Another household brand, Branston pickle, is to be sold as CEO Michael Clarke looks to reduce Premier's debt pile and focus on a select number of 'power brands'.

The GBP42m sale of Branston will, when completed, mean Premier has exceeded its target of bringing in GBP330m from disposals by June 2014.

The process of refocusing Premier was started under previous CEO Robert Schofield but it has gained fresh impetus since ex-Kraft and Coke exec Clarke took charge last year.

The sale of Branston to condiments firm Mizkan is the second Clarke has struck with the Japanese company alone; this summer, he agreed to sell brands including Sarson's vinegar to Mizkan.

For its part, Mizkan plans to focus on innovation to drive Branston's growth, as the head of the Japanese group's European business told just-food last week.

Could the Branston sale be the last at Premier? There are concerns in the City about the company's gearing, its pension deficit and the sustainable growth Premier can generate.

Even one of its so-called power brands, Hovis, has been touted as a candidate for disposal. Premier has refused to be drawn on claims it has hired Goldman Sachs to test what interest there could be in its bread business.

There are no easy options for Premier and Hovis. A sale to one of its two main rivals - Associated British Foods and Warburtons - would lead to competition concerns, while why an overseas buyer or private-equity firm would want to buy into such a competitive market is unclear. Moreover, any changes to Premier's Hovis manufacturing network could also pose problems.

This week, ABF publishes its annual results and, while it would be unlikely to comment directly on a competitor, it will be interesting to hear what the company says about its own UK bread business.

ABF is not the only major player in our sector to report its latest numbers this week. It will be joined tomorrow by UK retailer Marks and Spencer, which publishes its half-year figures, with its non-food business likely to be under scrutiny, while food ticks over steadily.

And on Wednesday, Barry Callebaut, the world's largest B2B chocolate manufacturer, issues its annual results. Half-year profits were down but Barry Callebaut insisted that was thanks to investment to support recent outsourcing deals.

The key events in our sector this week are:

Tuesday 6 November

Associated British Foods full-year results, London yourfoodjob.com awards, Manchester

Wednesday 7 November

Barry Callebaut annual results, Zurich Marks and Spencer half-year figures, London Mondelez International Q3 results, Deerfield, Illinois

Thursday 8 November

Kellogg annual investor day, US

Until next time...

Dean Best
Managing Editor
Web: http://www.just-food.com
Email: editor@just-food.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/just_food