Strategy

japanese rice

Amid Surging Rice Prices, What is the Future for This Once Sacred Crop in Japan?

Agriculture, Pricing, Strategy / By

Japan boasts around 2.4 million hectares (approximately 6.4 million acres) of land dedicated to rice paddies. Given that much of Japan is mountainous, these rice plots tend to be small, making rice farming labour-intensive and low-margin work. Most rice farmers in Japan sell less than JPY 10 million worth of rice annually and, until recently, […]

Amid Surging Rice Prices, What is the Future for This Once Sacred Crop in Japan? Read More »

trade show

Anuga is the food industry’s Olympic showdown. How was 2023’s gourmet event?

Bakery, Route to Market, Strategy / By

Anuga is a bi-annual event held in Köln, Germany. For many in the food and beverage industry it’s the most important trade event to showcase new products, innovations and crucially find new customers. I travelled all the way from Japan for the October 2023 show. What did I find? First, even though the show is

Anuga is the food industry’s Olympic showdown. How was 2023’s gourmet event? Read More »

Oatly turnaround

Oatly experiences sharp growth pains. Is private equity thirsty enough to pounce?

IPO, Strategy / By

Celebrity backed Oatly which IPO-ed for $17 a share in 2021 is now trading just above $2. That hurts! Although revenue grew marginally to $183m in Q3 2022, it was almost 15% lower than expected. Year on year net income fell to a larger loss of $212m from $60m. The funky, barista loving plant milk

Oatly experiences sharp growth pains. Is private equity thirsty enough to pounce? Read More »

Pet food investment

Activist Dan Loeb barks loudly at Colgate’s door. Should they let him in?

Management, Strategy / By

Colgate Palmolive has come under fire from activist shareholder Dan Loeb’s Third Point hedge fund. He now holds a $1 billion stake in the company. Thirdpoint invests in companies undergoing spinoffs and pushes for “corporate change”. Loeb’s stake in Colgate is around 6% of the fund’s assets. Activist investors are becoming increasingly active in the

Activist Dan Loeb barks loudly at Colgate’s door. Should they let him in? Read More »

Olympus strategy

Olympus looks to the future appointing its second foreign CEO

Japan, Management, Pharma, Strategy / By

The first time Tokyo listed Olympus appointed a foreign CEO it ended in tears. Michael Woodford’s tenure was short-lived. Woodford questioned huge fees paid to unknown companies which had links to criminal entities. Dismissed, he sued Olympus. The case concluded with a substantial out of court settlement in Woodward’s favour. Then Olympus was synonymous with

Olympus looks to the future appointing its second foreign CEO Read More »

Mars new CEO

As Mars’ CEO retires, what big bets will his successor wage?

Management, Strategy / By

Last week the FT carried an interview with John Reid, the outgoing CEO of Mars. What few metrics are published by Mars (the company is one of the world’s largest, privately owned businesses), it seems that Reid’s tenure has been an unqualified success. Global revenues now exceed $45b and have leapt dramatically under Reid’s tenure. 

As Mars’ CEO retires, what big bets will his successor wage? Read More »

Kelloggs break up

Kellogg bets the house on snacking; it no longer does breakfast-in North America!

Strategy / By

Earlier this week Kellogg announced plans to break itself into 3 companies. It seems that Kellogg is no longer doing breakfast, at least in North America where its cereal business is to be renamed and spun off. Although cereal sales slowed some of their downward trend during Covid, sales were still down 13% in 2021

Kellogg bets the house on snacking; it no longer does breakfast-in North America! Read More »

Digital cosmetics
Instagram shopper, photo Peter Kalonji

Revlon’s most dazzling cheek blush cannot conceal its reddening debt

Cosmetics, Strategy, Turnaround / By

Revlon is blushingly close to bankcruptcy according to the WSJ. It’s a salutary tale of a legacy cosmetics business with somewhat jaded brands that’s failed to adjust fast enough to a new paradigm: selling to the Instagram consumer. Amongst Revlon’s core portfolio of brands it’s noticeable that neither Elizabeth Arden nor Elizabeth Taylor are no

Revlon’s most dazzling cheek blush cannot conceal its reddening debt Read More »

Ben & Jerry's Unilever

Now that Nelson Peltz is a Unilever Board member what will he choose as his favourite Ben & Jerry’s flavour?

Management, Strategy, Turnaround / By

Founded in 1978 in Vermont, Ben & Jerry’s ice cream was sold to FMCG giant Unilever in 2000. Under Unilever’s stewardship the business has grown, and dig deep into the 2021 annual report, has sales over Euros 1 billion (US$1.13bn).  Export has been a large growth contributor. The brand is sold in over 35 countries,

Now that Nelson Peltz is a Unilever Board member what will he choose as his favourite Ben & Jerry’s flavour? Read More »