McCormick hot on Reckitt sauces deal despite fiery multiple 21 Jul 2017

Dean Best

McCormick & Co. this week emerged as the buyer of Reckitt Benckiser's food assets, which include French's mustard and Frank's RedHot sauce. The brands look a good fit with McCormick's own basket of sauces and spices but the US group has paid what appears to be a rich multiple for the assets and its shares cooled on Wednesday when the deal was announced. Can McCormick extract value? Dean Best reports.

---

General Mills' fiscal 2018 investor day - four things to learn 20 Jul 2017

Dean Best

General Mills is one of a clutch of US-centric businesses that have been under sales pressure for some time. In the 12 months to 28 May, the Yoplait maker's annual net sales fell 6% - the third successive year in which its top line contracted. Last week (12 July), the US food giant held its annual investor day to set out its plans for the new financial year, a chance for recently-installed CEO Jeff Harmening to outline how he believes the company can improve its performance. Here are the top takeaways from the event.

---

Direct-to-consumer in the UK: analysing the problems and potential 17 Jul 2017

Simon Creasey

The continued rapid growth of grocery e-commerce in the UK, combined with the tough trading conditions in serving traditional, bricks-and-mortar retailers, is leading a number of food manufacturers to investigate whether selling directly to consumers could be an option worth pursuing. Simon Creasey weighs up the prospects for the fledgling channel.

---

Does sustainability sell in the UK? 13 Jul 2017

Ben Cooper

Consumer concern has long been an important reason for food companies to take sustainability seriously, not only for reasons of reputational protection but increasingly for the value strong sustainability credentials can bring to a brand. In the first of a series of articles looking at the market pull for more sustainable food, Ben Cooper looks at the relationship between consumers and food sustainability in the UK, and asks whether sustainability sells.

---

How PepsiCo is trying to meet shifting consumer, retail dynamics 13 Jul 2017

Katy Askew

Significant changes are taking place in the way food manufacturers interact with their customers and consumers. Retail dynamics are evolving rapidly, with channel shifts, retailer consolidation and the ever growing importance of e-commerce shaking up the sector. Meanwhile, the consumer environment is developing at a faster pace than ever before. just-food looks at how PepsiCo is responding.

---

India bread industry believes Bimbo's entry could spark more deals 28 Jun 2017

Raghavendra Verma and Elizabeth Machuca

Grupo Bimbo, the Mexico-based business that is the world's largest bakery products group, has moved into a new emerging market. Bimbo has muscled its way into India with the acquisition of a majority stake in local packaged bread group Ready Roti India. Logistical and supply chain issues make India’s bakery industry challenging but some market watchers expect Bimbo’s move to be followed by other multinationals attracted by the industry’s growth.

---

How could Amazon's Whole Foods takeover affect suppliers? 23 Jun 2017

Victor Martino

It is the deal that has got the industry talking - Amazon's move to buy Whole Foods Market, hailed by some as a "game-changer" for the sector. just-food's US columnist Victor Martino, who six weeks ago floated the idea of Amazon's Jeff Bezos buying Whole Foods, weighs up how the e-commerce giant's move into physical retail and ownership of the US grocer could affect manufacturers.

---

Amazon's move for Whole Foods will focus minds 16 Jun 2017

Dean Best

"Every so often an event occurs that shakes the industry to its core. Amazon's acquisition of Whole Foods is one of those." So said one US retail analyst today after the e-commerce giant announced a deal to buy the natural and organic grocer for US$13.7bn. The transaction stunned the sector, with analysts hailing it a game-changer. Amazon faces short-term challenges with Whole Foods but the acquisition looks set to give its ambitions in grocery - a sector it entered ten years ago - a boost and rival retailers and manufacturers will be sitting up and taking notice. Dean Best reports.

---

How Nestle's US confectionery review has divided analysts 16 Jun 2017

Dean Best

Confectionery, particularly chocolate, is one of Nestle's flagship businesses and has often been the subject of speculation among industry watchers and the investment community. For much of the last decade, talk centred on whether Nestle would look to build its position in confectionery through the acquisition of a company like Switzerland's Lindt & Sprungli but, in recent quarters, the chatter has switched to whether the KitKat maker would look to quit the sector. Nestle's announcement yesterday (15 June) of plans to review the future of its US confectionery business has sparked a debate among analysts covering the world's largest food group. Dean Best reports.

---

Yum! throws money at Pizza Hut turnaround, Fiesta Restaurant Group feeling investor pressure, France's Elior seals India deals - foodservice focus, May 2017 8 Jun 2017

Dean Best

May saw Yum! Brands set out its plans to boost the performance of its flagging US Pizza Hut chain, investor pressure on US fast-casual operator Fiesta Restaurant Group and France-based contract caterer Elior Group finalise two acquisitions in India.

---

Food policy almost invisible as UK election nears - analysis 31 May 2017

Ben Cooper

It's the economy, stupid. So goes the mantra for what drives voting choice and therefore electoral campaigning. But, to some, food policy should have been far higher up in the agenda in recent elections in a number of countries. That argument is being heard loud and clear in the UK as the country nears polling day on 8 June, not least with Brexit the key reason why Prime Minister Theresa May called the election. Ben Cooper analyses the food policy positions of the main competing parties and hears from industry and campaigners on why the issue should have far more prominence as the election nears.

---

India's new GST tax regime comes in for criticism - analysis 30 May 2017

Raghavendra Verma

India's pan-industry business association ASSOCHAM has hailed the central government's new GST regime, a move to standardise goods and services tax rates in the country, as the biggest economic achievement in the three years since Prime Minister Narenda Modi took office. However, as just-food reports, there is some concern about the new framework's potential impact on value-added products.

---

The small can be powerful in Australia - analysis 25 May 2017

Nicholas Hill, IRI

The growth of Australia's grocery market is slowing but there remains opportunities for smaller brands to exploit. Nicholas Hill, senior account manager at IRI, looks at where those pockets are.

---

Yili leads Stonyfield chase but race not yet run - analysis 15 May 2017

Victor Martino

Chinese dairy giant Yili has declared its interest in buying Stonyfield but just-food columnist Victor Martino contends there could be more twists and turns in the race for Danone's US organic dairy unit.

---

The future of Whole Foods, 7-Eleven's latest US deal could help foodservice offer, M&S eyeing online - retail round-up, April 2017 9 May 2017

Dean Best

The performance of (and potential future for) Whole Foods Market hit the retail headlines in April but how should the US natural and organic grocer look to improve? Staying in the US, a notable acquisition by convenience-store giant 7-Eleven caught the eye. Meanwhile, in Europe, upmarket UK grocer Marks and Spencer looks, after years of shying away, set to take the plunge into the online channel.

---

What lies ahead for Panera Bread under new owners?, Burger King's sub-Saharan Africa push - foodservice focus, April 2017 8 May 2017

Dean Best

One of the biggest M&A deals in the foodservice sector came in April, with European investment firm JAB Holding moving to buy US bakery-cafe chain Panera Bread, for more than US$7bn. Elsewhere, Restaurant Brands International set out its ambitions for Burger King in sub-Saharan Africa.

---

Kraft Heinz on M&A strategy, US challenges, UK performance - five things to learn from Q1 results 5 May 2017

Dean Best

Kraft Heinz this week booked first-quarter sales and earnings that were down year-on-year and which missed analyst expectations. The company echoed the downbeat comments of some of its peers about the US and reported issues in Canada. However, Kraft Heinz made some more positive noises about the second quarter, while, in the wake of its failed move for Unilever, it appeared to give some hints about its M&A strategy.

---

Wal-Mart aims to drive supplier progress on emissions with Project Gigaton - analysis 4 May 2017

Ben Cooper

Wal-Mart Stores has launched Project Gigaton, an initiative which sees the retailer task food manufacturers to reduce carbon emissions with the aim of cutting emissions in its supply chain by 1 gigaton by 2030. Ben Cooper looks at the move.

---

Mondelez on margin growth, North America pressure, Q2 caution - five things to learn from Q1 results 3 May 2017

Dean Best

Shares in Mondelez International, which issued its first-quarter results after the closing bell in New York on Tuesday (2 May), were up in after-hours trading, helped by the Oreo owner beating analyst forecasts on its underlying earnings per share and better-than-expected sales numbers. However, the snacks giant did have some weak spots in the opening three months of 2017, notably North America, and issued some notes of caution about the second quarter. Dean Best sets out what you need to know from the numbers and from Mondelez's outlook.

---

Danone on "low start", fresh dairy challenges, new organisational structure - four things to learn from Q1 update 25 Apr 2017

Dean Best

Danone's first-quarter update hit its shares - and it is likely the fall in its stock price was only part due to the numbers. The French yogurt maker reported meagre like-for-like sales growth as its challenges in fresh dairy continued. The company upped its forecast for its annual underlying earnings but still its shares declined, with some analysts frustrated at the way Danone plans to report on its new asset, WhiteWave Foods.