JustFoodForDogs’ Post

Meow! General Mills announced this morning that it intends to acquire Whitebridge Pet Brands for $1.45B (4.5x revenue). This builds upon the 2018 acquisition of Blue Buffalo for $8B (6.5x revenue). This looks like a smart move on several fronts: - Consistent with the “shrink to grow” portfolio shaping trend. The sale of low-growth Yogurt for $2.1B (1.5x revenue) and the acquisition of faster-growing Whitebridge for $1.45B (4.5x revenue) are close enough in size and timing to call it a swap. General Mills nets ~$1B less revenue but gains a more synergistic, growth-focused portfolio. - Synergy opportunities. The technology to extrude pet food and snacks isn’t vastly different from cereal, and General Mills’ broad customer reach offers significant distribution expansion opportunities. This is their fifth pet acquisition since 2018, so they’re steadily building expertise and reach within the category. - Adapting to changing population dynamics. If your business model depends on feeding more humans, you’re in trouble. Around the world, people are having fewer children, but many are offsetting this by adding more pets. Expanding in pet food gives General Mills access to a growing market to help counterbalance the population headwinds. While performance in General Mills’ Pet segment has been challenging recently, the 4.5x multiple reflects the company’s commitment to the segment and its belief in long-term growth potential. https://lnkd.in/edg2ECTn #strategy #CPG #FMCG #M&A #leadership #innovation

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Three out of four individuals claim they haven't switched pet food brands. The reason is simple. They have no reason to. We see this as a window of opportunity for pet brands and retailers. Brands could capitalise on this by prompting product trials through methods like social proofing or promotions that leverage the reciprocity principle, enticing customers to switch from their existing pet food brands. 🐶 🐈 Get in touch to learn more at hello@sparkemotions.com #petfood #retail #data #insights

📰 INDUSTRY NEWS: New high-quality frozen raw and gently cooked pet food selections hit Pet Valu shelves “Culinary pet food, including frozen raw, frozen gently cooked, and freeze-dried raw formats, is one of our fastest growing categories, with an increasing number of devoted pet lovers seeking out less-processed foods for their pets,” says Matthew Shanks, vice president of proprietary brands at Pet Valu. “Made using unique recipes that were developed exclusively for Pet Valu by our in-house nutritionist, performatrin Culinary taps into this need with meals and snacks that are delicious, convenient, and compellingly priced to help dogs thrive.” Read the full story here: https://lnkd.in/eEwMgUt3 – – – – Do you have exciting news? Share the latest initiatives, company celebrations, success stories, and more from your franchise system with the CFA to be featured in the Industry News on Franchise Canada Online. Send your press releases to editor@cfa.ca to get started. #CFAGrowingTogether #Franchising #IndustryNews

Some interesting insights from Packaged Facts' David Sprinkle as he discusses pet food shopping patterns by retail channel, in this recent Petfood Industry article.

🐶 New CategoryIQ report: Pet Food market insights 🐱 Our latest CategoryIQ report dives into the biggest Pet Food market trends, revealing growing consumer demand, innovative product themes and intensified promotional activity. Key insights from this report: 🐕 Demand is growing: Both Cat and Dog Food categories saw increased consumer interest, with innovative themes and strategic promotions driving sales 💰 Ad spend surged: Top brands amplified promotional efforts to capture market share, reshaping competitive dynamics 🛍️ Shoppers prioritize pets: Mid-range price bands dominated, while premium options gained traction with niche audiences For the full story, download your free Pet Food report: https://hubs.li/Q02-XLGf0 #PetFood #EcommerceTrends #CategoryIQ

📊 Pet food sales down, profits up - General Mills in focus. The company reported a 1% drop in pet food sales for Q1 FY25, but a 7% boost in operating profits. General Mills is focusing on cost-saving measures and brand campaigns to turn the tide. Dive into the numbers: https://buff.ly/3ztnAQy #petfoodindustry #businessupdate #petfoodmanufacturing #costmanagement #salesstrategy

🐕 Insights from our latest CategoryIQ report: Q3 Pet Food trends & recommendations In Q3, we saw increased consumer demand across Cat and Dog Food, fueled by innovation, targeted advertising and strategic promotions. In fact, Cat Food grew a whopping 5.2% to $375M—while across the Pet Food category, brands like Friskies, Purina and Temptations led the pack. Based on our latest CategoryIQ report, these are my key takeaways for Pet Food brands: 1️⃣ Ad spend is climbing: Top brands invested heavily in promotions to capture market share, proving the power of paid presence. 2️⃣ Competition is heating up: New product launches like those from Amazon Brand are reshaping the landscape, while themes like Sensitive Stomach and Chicken Rice are highly contested. 3️⃣ Consumers are prioritizing pet care: Mid-range price bands dominated sales, but premium segments delivered meaningful contributions. These insights are a clear call for Pet Food brands to: ✅ Embrace category trends like Grain-Free and Chicken Kitten for growth ✅ Balance ad spend with organic visibility to maintain dominance ✅ Innovate for competitive differentiation, leveraging platforms like Amazon to scale For the full story, download the Pet Food CategoryIQ report here: https://hubs.li/Q02-YgpL0 #CategoryIQ #PetFood #LeadershipInsights #ecommerce

The rise of ambient super-premium categories such as frozen raw and freeze-dried pet food products, provides consumers with a convenient and cheaper route into super-premium categories. Major specialists such as Petco and PetSmart commit significant space to freeze-dried brands and offer private label ranges. As the pet sector continues to mature and grow, investors have a unique opportunity to capitalize on these emerging trends and consumer buying habits. Read more about how consumer pet trends will impact the pet food industry here: https://lnkd.in/eUPjQGF8 To speak to one of our industry experts, contact Emily Andrews, Coye Nokes, or email consumer@occstrategy.com. #UncommonSense #Pet #PetFood #ConsumerGoods 

𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗣𝗲𝘁 𝗙𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗪𝗮𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝟱𝟬% 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹. 𝟯𝟬% 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀.These aren't just numbers – they're the results of a successful pet food marketing campaign!   We helped a small pet food brand make 𝗛𝗨𝗚𝗘 waves by focusing on strategic sampling, impactful in-store promotions, and smart digital engagement.   𝗖𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝗶𝘁?   Check out our latest video to learn the secrets to their success!   #JasperColin #DatatoDecision #petfoodmarketing #marketingresults #casestudy #growthhacking #PetBrandSuccess #StrategicEngagement #MarketTriumph #PetLoversUnite #BusinessStrategies #SuccessStory #SmallBrandBigImpact #JasperColinInsights #PetFood