Latest food industry analysis

The rise of 'stealth small brands' as Big Food fights back 20 Sep 2018

Victor Martino

just-food's incisive US columnist Victor Martino is introducing a new term to the CPG lexicon - stealth small brands.

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Mondelez CEO puts new growth engine into gear - key takeaways 12 Sep 2018

Simon Harvey

Mondelez International chief executive Dirk Van de Put revealed a new strategic framework for the snacks giant on Friday as he hosted his first investor day since taking the job last autumn. The former McCain Foods boss unveiled a focus on top-line growth rather than a primary play on boosting margins. Simon Harvey looks at the key takeaways as the Cadbury chocolate owner embarks on a plan to "re-energise" its global brands and divest non-core assets.

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August adds to M&A volume growth in 2018 - data 7 Sep 2018

Dean Best

Tyson Foods' move for US protein supplier Keystone Foods was the pick of the M&A transactions announced in August, which saw a year-on-year growth in deals and contributed to the rise in activity seen in 2018 so far.

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What will it take to pacify investors in Campbell Soup Co.? 31 Aug 2018

Simon Harvey

Judging by the drop in the stock price of Campbell Soup Co., investors are not convinced that a plan to sell off the US food giant's international and fresh foods businesses will generate the desired pick-up in returns for shareholders, at least not in the short term. Were markets anticipating more than a disposal of assets from the 150-year-old company, which just reported a three-fold decline in annual profits? Simon Harvey investigates.

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How big packaged food companies can create a challenger brand playbook of their own 28 Aug 2018

Victor Martino

Acquiring challenger brands is one thing but how do big food businesses make a success of them when they are integrated into a very different corporate culture? Victor Martino reports.

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Smaller can be beautiful amid changing face of NPD 21 Aug 2018

Sjanny van Beekveld, IRI

Sjanny van Beekveld, the business insights director for the Netherlands arm of IRI, crunches the market researcher's local data and looks at the changing nature of innovation, offering observations that can apply across western Europe.

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China the next frontier for determined US grocer Kroger 17 Aug 2018

Dean Best

Kroger, one of the largest grocers in the US, has, in the face of a challenging domestic market and the spectre of Amazon, rolled up its sleeves in recent months and announced a series of moves in developing parts of the food industry. This week, Kroger announced another initiative but, this time, it was international. Dean Best reports.

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China breakfast cereal deep-dive part two – how to tap future growth 16 Aug 2018

Wang Fangqing

Demand for breakfast cereal in China is expected to continue to grow amid the urbanisation of the population and continued interest in Western eating habits. But what must manufacturers do to tap that demand? Wang Fangqing reports in this second part of just-food’s in-depth look at the category.

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China breakfast cereal deep-dive part one - how the market has slowly opened up 15 Aug 2018

Wang Fangqing

China has been a key target for multinational food companies for decades but success has varied by category. Western-style breakfast cereal has not made the advances seen in other parts of the industry but, as Wang Fangqing reports, that is gradually changing.

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Cereal? Health? A company split? What might be next for PepsiCo under new CEO Ramon Laguarta 8 Aug 2018

Dean Best

Indra Nooyi is stepping down as PepsiCo CEO, to be replaced by another 20-year company veteran, group president Ramon Laguarta. What could lie ahead for the food and beverage giant? Dean Best reports.

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Food M&A volumes sizzle in July, pushing 2018 to high - data 7 Aug 2018

Dean Best

As company strategists look to M&A to gain an edge on their competition, just-food's index of mergers and acquisitions in the international packaged food sector highlights the volume of deals being announced.

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Timeline - PepsiCo under outgoing CEO Indra Nooyi 6 Aug 2018

Dean Best

Indra Nooyi is to step down as PepsiCo CEO in October after more than a decade at the helm of the US food and beverage giant. just-food looks at the stand-out moments and manoeuvres under Nooyi at the Quaker, Lay's and Pepsi maker.

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Kellogg "pleased" with 2018 so far - top takeaways from US giant's Q2 and H1 numbers 3 Aug 2018

Dean Best

After four straight years of falling annual sales, Kellogg yesterday (2 August) reported top-line growth for the first half of 2018, prompting a tone of satisfaction from the US company. Dean Best looks at the numbers and weighs up the cereal-and-snacks giant's performance and outlook

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Amid overhaul, Weston Foods remains positive despite H1 profit fall 1 Aug 2018

Simon Harvey

Amid increasing competition, Weston Foods, one of North America’s largest bakery products businesses, is undergoing what its parent company has called a "transformation programme" aimed at becoming a "premier player" in the industry and delivering "solid financial results". Yesterday, Weston Foods reported falling half-year sales and earnings. Simon Harvey had a look at the numbers.

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What could no-deal Brexit mean for UK, EU food sectors? 31 Jul 2018

Rose Pengally

The prospect of the UK and the EU not reaching a deal on the country's departure from the bloc has risen in recent weeks amid close votes at Westminster and Brussels expressing opposition to London's latest proposals on customs. As food-industry concerns mount, Rose Pengally surveys what could be the impact of a no-deal Brexit on the sector on both sides of the Channel.

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What are the latest talking points among grocery e-commerce executives? 24 Jul 2018

Ben Sillitoe

From shoppable recipes, to online marketplace stores and voice technology, Ben Sillitoe looks at the opportunities, challenges and emerging trends for food manufacturers developing online strategies.

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Why food and tech need to better connect 20 Jul 2018

Victor Martino

The closure of US meal-kit business Chef'd is symptomatic of the challenges in that fledgling sector but, Victor Martino argues, it is also emblematic of an underlying issue in the wider industry - the disconnect between those in the food industry and those working on the technology that is rapidly impacting the market. Here, just-food's US columnist outlines why food and tech need to work more closely together - and how.

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How should small and mid-sized food companies build new international markets? 19 Jul 2018

Simon Creasey

Export markets can be enticing for small- and medium-sized businesses in the food industry but how best should companies with limited resources and already doing battle in competitive domestic markets go about expanding internationally? Simon Creasey speaks to those in the field to find out more.

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Big Meat eyeing alternatives - the giants with stakes in plant-based and lab-grown 18 Jul 2018

Andy Coyne

The rise of plant-based products as an alternative to meat and the arrival of lab-created - or 'clean' - products as a potentially sustainable way of feeding the world are trends very much on the radar of the world's largest meat companies. Here we look at what those businesses are doing to make sure they are not missing out on alternative protein solutions.

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How do food companies ensure cocoa supply meets future demand - sustainably? 13 Jul 2018

Ben Cooper

Ben Cooper looks at food companies' efforts to put their west African cocoa supply chains on a truly sustainable footing.