Nestlé to spin off water brands into a standalone business
Nestlé's water brands will be separated into a standalone business as of January 1, 2025, the company announced this morning.
Manufacturers
Carlsberg Malaysia banks on festive season to drive final quarter sales
Carlsberg Malaysia believes that the upcoming festive season as well as stronger economic growth will help to drive improved sales for the rest of 2024, despite a negative performance in Singapore in Q3.
Lifeway Foods rejects Danone’s ‘opportunistic proposal’, adopts ‘poison pill’ plan
The kefir maker’s board of directors has adopted a shareholder rights plan in a bid to avoid a hostile takeover.
Alcohol-free beer is booming. Can alcohol-free cider enjoy the same success?
CHANCE Clean Cider (0.5% ABV) sees the opportunity for low and no ciders to enjoy the same success as alcohol-free beers.
News
Former Johnnie Walker boss heads up new Diageo Luxury Group
Diageo has announced the launch of its new global luxury division, a business unit that will oversee its portfolio of premium brands.
Retail’s the right way for alcohol-free: AF drives growth with Sprouts, Target, Walmart listings
New Zealand alcohol-free brand AF has set its sight on tripling sales over the next twelve months, thanks to US listings in Target and Walmart. That visibility in retail is key for growing the category, the brand’s founder tells us.
Molson Coors takes majority stake in ZOA Energy
Molson Coors Beverage Company is taking a majority ownership stake in ZOA, the better-for-you energy brand co-founded by Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson.
‘Quality over quantity’: Pernod Ricard prioritises ultra-prestige portfolio to satisfy growing appetite for premium and niche spirits
Alcohol major Pernod Ricard is focusing on increasing awareness and availability of its prestige brands in burgeoning markets and channels, while expanding its premium craft spirits portfolio to meet growing interest for niche products.
CCEP boasts ‘solid year’ in strong €5.4bn Q3 results
Summer revenues for Coca-Cola Europacific Partners were stung by poor weather, though Euro football and the Paris Olympics contributed towards what is shaping up to be a “solid year” for the group.
Millie's disrupts tea, broth category with convenient tea bag broth format
Millie’s tea bag broths, made with herbs, spices and dehydrated vegetables landed in 2,000 Walmart stores last month, marking a major milestone for the brand as it disrupts the tea and broth categories.
News
Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney become Wrexham Lager co-owners
Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have become co-owners of Wrexham Lager after purchasing a stake in the Welsh brewer.
Kenetik offers a ketone drink without the ‘nail polish’ taste
Ketone-based drink company Kenetik is capturing a market of athletes and health enthusiasts who want the benefits of ketones—without a bad taste.
Coca-Cola to deliver on full-year guidance with ‘all-weather strategy,’ despite Q3 volume slowdown
Coca-Cola beat Wall Street estimates for its third quarter despite volumes and revenue declines, as the beverage giant pursues an “all-weather strategy" and offsets challenges with innovation in Sprite, Fanta and Topo Chico, company CEO James Quincey...
Keurig Dr Pepper to acquire energy drink business GHOST
Keurig Dr Pepper is making its largest investment to date with the acquisition of GHOST: a sports nutrition business led by GHOST Energy.
UK’s competition watchdog looks into Carlsberg-Britvic deal
The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched a merger inquiry into Carlsberg’s acquisition of soft drink company Britvic.
Breaking barriers: The Singleton focuses on flavours, welcomes localisation to capture booming Asian markets
Diageo-owned The Singleton has identified flavours as a key focus area to further drive growth in Asia, where the complexity of Scotch whiskey and its versatility in localisation are increasingly recognised.
Nestlé streamlines operations amid soft demand
The food major downgrades its FY24 growth outlook again as it predicts consumer demand to remain soft.
Apothékary debuts in 400+ Sprouts stores, focuses on tincture business
Wellness brand Apothékary’s retail partnership with Sprouts Farmers Markets highlights its product expansion of herbal powders for beverages to include tinctures that align with the retailers’ growing supplement department in the non-alcoholic space.
PepsiCo lowers full-year guidance on Q3 2024 results, North American business continues volume declines
PepsiCo’s North American snack and beverage businesses continue to slow down in its third quarter of 2024, as the company adjusts its forecast from 4% organic revenue growth for the year to low single digits amid continued pressures but beats Wall Street...
Policymakers call on Coca-Cola, General Mills, PepsiCo to address pricing practices
Letters sent by Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Representative Madeleine Dean (D-Penn.) to the CEOs of Coca-Cola, General Mills and PepsiCo express concern over pricing and tax practices that, according to the policy makers, “squeeze profits out...
Recoup launches gut-friendly beverage at Sprouts, raises awareness on benefits of regen ag
Recoup’s prebiotic sparkling beverages hit the shelves at 420 Sprouts Farmers Market stores nationwide, as the company leans into gut health and regenerative agriculture claims to deliver consumer demands for functional and environmental benefits.
Startup Spotlight
Beekeeper Coffee taps into youth culture to build its RTD honey-sweetened coffee
Beekeeper Coffee's co-founders leveraged their extensive brand-building expertise from giants like Nike and Beats by Dre to stand out in the crowded RTD coffee market with a distinct honey-sweetened brew, emphasizing authenticity and sustainability...
LVMH invests in luxury alcohol-free wine, French Bloom
Moët Hennessy – the wines and spirits division of LVMH – has acquired a minority stake in premium alcohol-free sparkling wine brand, French Bloom.
PepsiCo snaps up Siete Foods for $1.2bn
The acquisition of the Texas-based family-owned maker of Mexican-inspired snacks and foods marks a significant step for PepsiCo, aligning with its strategy to expand its health-conscious and multicultural offerings.
Suja Organic makes ‘every sip count’ with rebrand focused on transparency, flavor, function
Suja Life rebranded its line of Suja Organic cold-pressed juices and wellness shots to simplify the product’s functionality and flavors as the company grows into more occasions and dayparts with its acquisition of soda brand Slice.
Diageo makes another big play in non-alc spirits with acquisition of Ritual Zero Proof
Diageo North America has acquired Ritual Zero Proof Non-Alcoholic Spirits: the top non-alcoholic spirit brand in the US.
Coca-Cola & Bacardi to launch RTD cocktail as innovation heats up in the space
With Coca-Cola and Bacardi’s RTD cocktail announced for a 2025 launch, we take a look at some of the other big name partnerships between soft drink giants and beverage alcohol heavyweights in this space.
PepsiCo’s water stewardship includes converting steam from frying potato chips into drinkable water
When PepsiCo recently surpassed its goal of 25% improvement in operational water-use efficiency from a 2015 baseline in regions facing high water risks two years ahead of schedule it was not because the company hit a lucky home run, according to Bryan...
Molson Coors to bring Aussie non-alc RTD cocktail brand, Naked Life, to the US
Molson Coors has announced a strategic partnership with Naked Life, the no.1 non-alcoholic RTD cocktail company in Australia, to bring the canned cocktails to the US.
Know your drink: Pernod Ricard taps ASEAN desire for increased information to launch digital label
Alcohol giant Pernod Ricard has launched a new digital label initiative in Singapore, hoping to tap on South East Asian consumer demands for increased information and shift towards better drinking habits.
Startup Spotlight
Functional beverage startup Yesly’s viral social media posts underscore big ad budgets are not necessary for big impact
Big advertising budgets are not a requirement for big sales or an indicator of how successful a marketing campaign will be as illustrated by a viral video on social media by functional beverage newcomer Yesly, which generated more than 16 million views...
Danone explores kefir’s untapped potential with new Activia range
Danone has launched its first kefir range in the UK as the company aims to tackle consumer scepticism and raise awareness of the fermented dairy product’s health benefits.
Protein Rebel launches seawater magnesium for runners
Endurance-sport nutrition brand, Protein Rebel, has launched an on-trend seawater-sourced magnesium citrate powder for runners' recovery.
Are coffee prices set to rise again?
Poor growing conditions in Brazil threaten coffee supplies. So, is another price hike on the horizon for this already-pricey commodity?
Staying the course: Carlsberg pledges continued commitment to premiumisation despite sales drop in first half of 2024
Carlsberg Malaysia has committed to continue its focus on premium products despite seeing a significant drop in sales in the first half of the year.
Beverage benefits: New beer, whiskey and non-alcoholic drinks buoy revenue growth for Kirin in first quarter of 2024
Japanese beverage major Kirin Group has seen its launch of a new beer brand as well as investments into functional beverage innovation and overseas whiskey expansion bear fruit in the first quarter of 2024.
Pernod Ricard acquires minority stake in Lewis Hamilton’s non-alcoholic agave spirit
Pernod Ricard has acquired a minority stake in Almave: the non-alcoholic blue agave-based spirit brand co-founded by Formula One star Lewis Hamilton.
‘Biggest future market’: Bottega boss outlines plans to increase supply and marketing focus in Asia
The MD of prosecco specialist firm Bottega has highlighted the company’s plans to increase supply and marketing spend to boost its position in the Asian region, predicting that this is likely to become its biggest market in the near future.
$40bn personalised nutrition market tapped for growth with Xampla and Lehmann tie-up
Plastic replacement technology firm Xampla’s partnership with Lehmann Ingredients will seek to build on global consumers’ growing demand for personalised nutrition.
Carlsberg Britvic deal gets approval from Britvic shareholders
Britvic shareholders have voted in favor of Carlsberg’s proposed acquisition of the company: bringing the creation of UK beer and soft drink giant Carlsberg Britvic one step closer.
AVVIKA’s RTD caffeine alternative aims to educate consumers about its functional ingredients, benefits
Soon-to-launch AVVIKA breaks away from traditional energy drinks as a caffeine alternative that calls out its suppliers’ functional ingredients on the label for transparent communication with consumers, brand founders Doug Resh and Holden Rouse told...
News
Typhoo Tea losses approach £40m
UK-based tea manufacturer Typhoo has reported annual losses of £38m for the year ended September 2023.
Beer battles: Lion Brewery highlights Singapore as key craft beer market despite local ‘anti-competitive’ challenges
Craft beer firm Lion Brewery has described Singapore as one of the most vibrant and important craft beer markets in the region driven by strong consumer demand, despite facing significant ‘anti-competitive’ challenges to entry and growth.
Advancing ASEAN: Philippines sales lead growth for Coca-Cola Europacific in Asia Pacific region for first half of 2024
Coca-Cola Europacific (CCEP) has seen its newest acquisition of Coca-Cola Philippines pay off with strong sales contributing to significant APAC growth in the first half of the year.
Snack shake-up: Six gamechanging collabs redefining NPD
Collaborations in the snack industry are vital for innovation, market expansion and consumer engagement. These partnerships lead to the creation of novel products that blend diverse flavors and cultural influences, capturing consumer interest and...
Tilray to acquire four craft beer brands from Molson Coors
Cannabis and consumer packaged goods company Tilray Brands will acquire Hop Valley Brewing Company, Terrapin Beer Co., Revolver Brewing and Atwater Brewery from Molson Coors: continuing its growth in beverage alcohol.
A twist in the tea: Yili seeks to capture new consumer base with twist-top RTD range
China dairy giant Yili has ventured into the ready-to-drink (RTD) tea segment with an entirely new product concept dubbed the ‘instant brewed tea’ under its INIKIN brand as it looks to capture a new base of local consumers.
Energy education: En-Theories highlights APAC consumer aversion towards ‘energy drinks’ as major challenge for sector
Thai-based natural energy drink brand En-Theories has highlighted the paradox between a rising demand for better-for-you beverage options and consumer aversion towards the term ‘energy drinks’ as a major challenge for healthier, more natural alternatives...
Ancient Drinks expands retail presence on West Coast, uses ‘hyperbole’ to differentiate in sports drink category
Ancient Drinks is taking its first major step beyond its direct-to-consumer roots and into retailers on the West Coast and the Southwest, including natural retailers Lassens and Good Earth Markets, as it tries to rewrite the sports drink branding...
BOSS of brands: How Suntory deployed empathy and metaphors for three decades of RTD coffee success
The designer of Suntory’s internationally successful BOSS RTD coffee brand has revealed how empathy and metaphorical references have been crucial to the long-lasting and widespread growth of the 32 year-old brand across the world.