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Oral poison sales down - Climate change, Russia, and tarrifs to blame.


               
2025 Jun 4, 6:58am   201 views  3 comments

by Al_Sharpton_for_President   follow (6)  

Tariff uncertainty and inflation are driving consumer decisions at the grocery stores, and for big packaged food companies, one key area is bearing the brunt of these changes: snacking.

In its quarterly report released Monday, Campbell's (CPB), which owns snack brands like Goldfish crackers and Cape Cod chips, said that it saw "increased headwinds" in snacking, leading to a 5% decline in volume mix and an 8% decrease in revenue in its fiscal third quarter results.

Consumers "are increasingly intentional about the discretionary snack purchases," CEO Mick Beekhuizen told investors on the company's earnings call, a trend that has only gotten worse as the year's gone on.

"If you look at the quarter, Q3, and you put it in perspective versus Q2, you see ... the aggregate categories deteriorated ... driven by the deteriorating consumer confidence," Beekhuizen added.

Campbell's is only the latest in a series of packaged food giants to call out a shift in snacking behavior.

"Revenue management clearly is becoming more complex," PepsiCo (PEP) CEO Ramon Laguarta told investors on the company's earnings call in late April, "as consumers are feeling more challenged with their disposable income."

Laguarta said consumers' approach to shopping changed in the quarter. In early April, consumers were looking to see how much they got per item, and by the end of the month, they were more focused on the "absolute price per unit." Pepsi's snack portfolio includes Frito-Lay brands like Lays, Cheetos, Doritos, and Tostitos, among others.

Kraft Heinz's (KHC) portfolio overall — ranging from Jell-O to Lunchables — saw its volume mix drop 5.6 percentage points in the quarter. Kellanova (K), which is behind brands like Cheez-Its and Pringles, saw its volume decline in North America. The company is in the process of being acquired by Mars.

The summer months could potentially catalyze a turnaround in consumer habits, with holidays offering what Kraft Heinz CEO Carlos Abrams-River called "volume opportunities" on the company's latest earnings call in late April.

Winning holidays is crucial.

"Holidays matter ... It's like holidays are almost worth double relative to a regular week," Bank of America analyst Peter Galbo told Yahoo Finance. Better weather also plays a key role.

For example, if Memorial Day weather isn't very good in much of the country, it can create a "meaningful swing factor" for snacks. If "the weather is bad," Galbo added, "You're not going to have a barbecue, so you don't buy Tostitos or Lays."

This snacking slowdown also comes as consumer confidence has fallen sharply, rising in May for the first time all year. At the same time, the US labor market is beginning to show some cracks, with the number of Americans collecting unemployment checks in mid-May standing at the highest in 3.5 years.

Uncertainty surrounding tariffs has also weighed on pricing and the consumer outlook. Data from PwC found prices for shelf-stable categories like sauces, pasta, canned beans, and snacks are up 1%-6% over the last week due to the impact of tariffs.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/tariff-uncertainty-is-hammering-one-of-americas-favorite-food-escapes--snacks-090030353.html


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1   Patrick   2025 Jun 4, 8:11am  

Al_Sharpton_for_President says

Pepsi's snack portfolio includes Frito-Lay brands like Lays, Cheetos, Doritos, and Tostitos


All just vehicles for Canola oil. The less sold of that shit, the better for everyone except shareholders who profit from poisoning the public.
2   Al_Sharpton_for_President   2025 Sep 3, 6:15am  

Corporate maneuverings alone can't solve the problem of shifting consumer tastes

Kraft Heinz (KHC) is splitting up. Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP) is unraveling into a coffee company and a separate beverage company. And Elliott Management is agitating to shake up PepsiCo (PEP).

While the maneuverings in the food world each have their own stories and contours, what the developments have in common is a struggle to keep up with shifting consumer preferences.

Shoppers are drifting to cheaper grocery store brands after years of higher prices. And a heightened aversion to processed foods has pressured iconic brands, as has the MAHA (Make America Healthy Again) movement. Where food executives used to lean on synergies and combinations, the strategy of the day appears to be price consciousness and product focus.

"Food stocks have just not really done well this year," Crossmark Global Investments chief market strategist Victoria Fernandez said in a live Yahoo Finance appearance. Snack foods in particular have taken a hit as the explosion of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs has led people away from food products, she noted.

But if weakening demand for marquee brands is at the heart of the problem, how can companies manage and market their way out of it? And can corporate reengineering even keep people interested in the engineered American staples?

Creating narrower, more thematically focused operations is one way to tackle the problem of shifting tastes. But there are other considerations alongside catering to health-conscious consumers that can move a ticker.

In explaining the Kraft Heinz breakup, the company said the two entities will be better positioned to focus on what they do best, investing in individual brands and lessening the complexity of their large array of food products. The grocery staples business, for instance, will center on a smaller geography, while the sauces and spreads unit will look to expand internationally.

Keurig Dr Pepper offered a similar justification for its unwinding, which will also involve the acquisition of the parent company of Peet's Coffee for $18 billion. Two entities, each optimized for their business, will be able to chase opportunities, the company said, like energy drinks for the cold beverage unit and growth outside the US for the coffee business.

Breakups aren't always the answer, either.

With PepsiCo, Elliot Management stopped short of calling for a food and beverage split. Instead, the activist investor encouraged Pepsi to cull its weakest products and lay out specific plans for a turnaround, among other recommendations. Elliot said Pepsi's shares could rise more than 50% if it follows through on a turnaround. Shares of Pepsi are roughly flat for the year, while rival Coca-Cola (KO) is up close to 11%.

If nimbleness to cater to trends is what food executives are after, shedding the baggage of a conglomerate or legacy operation sounds like a fine remedy. Over time, cultures change, people change, and companies follow or try to anticipate the next turn. But even the savviest corporate shake-up isn't a cure-all.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/corporate-maneuverings-alone-cant-solve-the-problem-of-shifting-consumer-tastes-100037026.html


3   HeadSet   2025 Sep 3, 8:32am  

Al_Sharpton_for_President says

Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP) is unraveling into a coffee company and a separate beverage company.

Maybe that is why it is harder for me to find my Sundrop.

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