Egypt has dominated headlines around the world this week and the political crisis has had an impact on the food sector, particularly on multinationals operating in the country. Within the industry, this week saw the start of the world’s largest food makers announce their 2010 results – Hershey, Unilever and Kellogg were among those reporting. And, today (4 February), Benecol maker Raisio made another push into the UK with the acquisition of cereal and confectionery maker Big Bear Group. Here are the highlights on just-food this week.
How Egypt’s unrest is affecting the food sector
The political crisis in Egypt is affecting the multinationals – from Kraft Foods to Carrefour – that operate in the country and is causing jitters on commodity markets.
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Comment: Resurgent Hershey still has much to ponder
Hershey cheered investors yesterday (2 February) with a set of strong 2010 numbers – but the US confectionery giant has much to ponder in 2011.
UPDATE: UK: Unilever’s Polk unfazed about commodity pressure
Unilever will increase its prices at a more “rapid rate” in 2011 as it continues to look to offset rising commodity costs, concerns over which hit the company’s share price yesterday (3 February).
On the money: Kellogg sees “difficult” Europe in 2011
Cereal giant Kellogg has said that Europe will continue to be the “most difficult” region for the firm in the year ahead.
In the spotlight: Big Bear a “good fit” for Raisio
The announcement this morning that Raisio has purchased UK-based Big Bear Group, owner of brands like Sugar Puffs cereals, comes as no surprise, given that the deal has been rumoured for some time.
US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?
Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.
By GlobalDataComment: Sara Lee split fails to dampen takeover talk
Sara Lee’s management no doubt hoped the announcement of plans to split the US food group in two would give the market some clarity over its future but Wall Street analysts believe the new-look companies will still be potential takeover targets.
Retail bytes: Food retailers going mobile
With the number of smartphone users to exceed 1bn globally by 2014, grocery retailers looking to build a cohesive multichannel experience for their customers need to consider how they approach this emerging channel.
Upmarket UK retailer Waitrose and discounter Aldi have both gained share of the UK grocery market, according to the latest figures from analysts at Kantar Worldpanel.
