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This week in FMCG

FMCG-ThisWeekInNews-080618-8Another week comes to an end so it’s time for us to recap on the top headlines from the FMCG sector this week.

Coca-Cola shakes up top leadership team

Global beverage giant Coca-Cola has elected a new president and COO as well as a new CFO. Brian Smith will take the seat of president and COO from January 1. The company said in a statement that Smith is well-equipped to lead field operations and bring an “accelerated focus” on executing key strategies. He will report to Coke CEO James Quincey. While John Murphy, president of the company’s Asia Pacific group, will be the new executive vice president and CFO on March 16, 2019, after Kathy Waller retires from the company.

Deputy PM open to royal commission into supermarkets

Deputy prime minister Michael McCormack has supported having a royal commission for supermarkets for allegedly failing to support Australian farmers during the drought problem. Queensland Nationals MP Llew O’Brien told parliament that supermarket giants Coles and Woolworths should be condemned for failing to follow through on a 10 cent “drought levy” on all the milk brands they are carrying at their stores. The “big two” brought a milk levy but solely for their own private label milk ranges. O’Brien said that this move of both groceries were taking consumers away from purchasing branded milk.

Elon Musk uncorks “Teslaquila” plan

Amazon Australia moves into the food category

E-commerce giant Amazon has unveiled its new ‘pantry range’, which includes over 400 local and international brands of food, such as Arnott’s, Milo, Uncle Tobys, Masterfoods, T2, Carman’s, Sanitarium, Oreo, Powerade and M&Ms. While the range will impact the Australian grocery sector, it doesn’t include any AmazonFresh produce. Amazon’s former executive, Brittain Ladd, commented on LinkedIn, on the rationale behind the e-commerce giant’s focus on food which he deems as a “must-have for all consumers. The retailer that does the best job of meeting the grocery or food needs of consumers to the point where customers become loyal to the retailers brand, will provide that same retailer with an opportunity to sell additional products.”

Nestlé unveiled baby formula to rival a2

That caps the top news for this working week. Stay tuned for more headlines next Monday morning!

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