Tweet
Better eat your Wheaties? General Mills wishes you were. And people apparently aren't so cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs either.
General Mills, which owns those two popular cereal brands as well as Cheerios, Lucky Charms and Trix, reported weaker than expected revenue for its latest quarter Tuesday morning. Sales fell 5% from a year ago--more than expected.
And it's the seventh straight quarter that sales at General Mills (GIS) were down.
General Mills is having trouble getting people to eat cereal. And it's a challenge that rivals are dealing with as well.
Kellogg (K) said last month that sales for what it dubs its morning foods, which includes iconic brands Frosted Flakes and Rice Krispies as well as Pop-Tarts, were down from a year ago. (Morning foods? I've been known to munch on a Pop-Tart after dark.)
The latest quarterly sales for Post (POST), which owns Fruity Pebbles and Honey Bunches of Oats, were flat compared to a year ago.
Soda and snack food giant Pepsi (PEP), which also owns Life and Cap'n Crunch cereal maker Quaker Foods, only reported a 5% increase in revenue from that unit in its most recent quarter.
And Pepsi didn't even talk about cereal in its earnings release or conference call. Instead, CEO Indra Nooyi touted the company's new healthier Quaker Breakfast Flats fruit and nuts bars.
All this begs the question. Does anyone besides Seinfeld-loving Gen Xers and Baby Boomers even eat cereal anymore?
There's anecdotal evidence that Millennials aren't cereal addicts. Part of it is the cost.
Even though deflation for many agricultural commodities have put a dent in food prices lately, the general trend for cereal over the past few years has been higher prices for smaller boxes.
So cash-strapped younger people may not find cereal to be a good value.
What's more, numerous stories about the loads of sugar in many breakfast staples have parents less inclined to give their kids fruity and chocolatey cereals in the morning. As a dad of two preternaturally wired young boys, I can attest to that.
And it's a big reason why many of the cereal companies are starting to cut back on sugar and artificial colorings and pushing healthier offerings with more grains.
http://money.cnn.com/2017/03/21/inve...ex.html?iid=EL
General Mills, which owns those two popular cereal brands as well as Cheerios, Lucky Charms and Trix, reported weaker than expected revenue for its latest quarter Tuesday morning. Sales fell 5% from a year ago--more than expected.
And it's the seventh straight quarter that sales at General Mills (GIS) were down.
General Mills is having trouble getting people to eat cereal. And it's a challenge that rivals are dealing with as well.
Kellogg (K) said last month that sales for what it dubs its morning foods, which includes iconic brands Frosted Flakes and Rice Krispies as well as Pop-Tarts, were down from a year ago. (Morning foods? I've been known to munch on a Pop-Tart after dark.)
The latest quarterly sales for Post (POST), which owns Fruity Pebbles and Honey Bunches of Oats, were flat compared to a year ago.
Soda and snack food giant Pepsi (PEP), which also owns Life and Cap'n Crunch cereal maker Quaker Foods, only reported a 5% increase in revenue from that unit in its most recent quarter.
And Pepsi didn't even talk about cereal in its earnings release or conference call. Instead, CEO Indra Nooyi touted the company's new healthier Quaker Breakfast Flats fruit and nuts bars.
All this begs the question. Does anyone besides Seinfeld-loving Gen Xers and Baby Boomers even eat cereal anymore?
There's anecdotal evidence that Millennials aren't cereal addicts. Part of it is the cost.
Even though deflation for many agricultural commodities have put a dent in food prices lately, the general trend for cereal over the past few years has been higher prices for smaller boxes.
So cash-strapped younger people may not find cereal to be a good value.
What's more, numerous stories about the loads of sugar in many breakfast staples have parents less inclined to give their kids fruity and chocolatey cereals in the morning. As a dad of two preternaturally wired young boys, I can attest to that.
And it's a big reason why many of the cereal companies are starting to cut back on sugar and artificial colorings and pushing healthier offerings with more grains.
http://money.cnn.com/2017/03/21/inve...ex.html?iid=EL
Comment