During the 2019 Consumer Analyst Group of New York conference in Florida, Food Dive spoke with executives and analysts to gain insight into how CPG companies are positioning their businesses to capture growth and weather rapidly changing consumer tastes.
We talked with Big Food about the shift in focus to smaller bolt-on deals after a period of large-scale mergers and acquisitions to grow and why manufacturers are prioritizing growth over cost cutting.
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Canopy Growth CEO: Cannabis hasn't caught the attention of Big Food — yet
While beer and tobacco have looked into marijuana, Bruce Linton said the substance hasn't had a significantly disruptive impact on most CPG companies.
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Hershey CEO: Not moving beyond candy would be a missed opportunity
While the 125-year-old company has added better-for-you snacking brands such as Skinny Pop and Pirate's Booty to its portfolio, the chocolate maker is still actively looking to grow through M&A.
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After cost cutting, Big Food builds its future on investing for growth
Companies such as General Mills, Kellogg and Mondelez are back to spending in an effort to reignite sales and compete with more nimble upstarts and shifting consumer tastes.
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Ingredion touts its 'tools in the toolbox' to address changing consumer trends, CEO says
Jim Zallie said on-the-go consumption as well as low sugar and plant-based options have created "tremendous growth opportunities" for his company.
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TreeHouse Foods CEO: Customers couldn't trust our 'ability to execute'
With CEO Steve Oakland at the helm, the private label food manufacturer has closed plants, reduced its SKUs and changed how it sells products in a bid to reverse a multi-year decline in sales.
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Big Food turns to small deals as major M&A transactions likely to pause in 2019
After completing larger transformational buys in 2018, companies such as Campbell Soup, General Mills, Hershey and Conagra will focus on digesting the purchases and lowering their debt levels.
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Nestlé USA chief touts value in 'driving relevance' to its big-name brands
Last year, the world's largest food manufacturer posted 2.6% sales growth in the U.S., its biggest market, despite challenges in the Lean Cuisine and Stouffer's brands.