Sector News

The Oreo maker quickly pivoted early in the pandemic to boost its e-commerce channels, simplify its portfolio and offer right-sized packages for consumers during peak stockpiling.

When Dirk Van de Put took over as CEO of Mondelez International in November 2017, the seasoned food executive inherited an enviable portfolio of iconic brands such as Oreo, Ritz and Triscuit poised to thrive from the burgeoning demand by consumers to snack.

But in the three years since, the CPG giant has stayed anything but complacent, investing in its global and local offerings, improving its supply chain and acquiring smaller brands to double-down on its dominant position in snacking. It’s paid off, with the company increasing its market share and investors bidding up its stock price roughly 35% during that time.

“For me, the work never stops,” Van de Put said. “You need to constantly question yourself, am I connecting with the consumer? Am I understanding what is going on? … Are [shoppers] connecting to our brands? Are they consuming more? That by itself will constantly require us to question what we’re doing.”

Soon after Van de Put took over, Mondelez focused more attention on accelerating sales growth after several years where the company, similar to others in the food space, prioritized reining in spending and expanding profit margins. Mondelez has committed to organic net revenue growth of at least 3% annually; last year it exceeded that figure at 4.1%. READ MORE

by Christopher Doering

Source: fooddive.com