• Advertising Age reports that “Coca-Cola has usurped the top slot from PepsiCo in fruit-juice share.”
Pepsi blames an increase in share by private brand alternatives for the shift, but observers say that a more likely culprit is the company’s aborted redesign of its Tropicana brand, which was nothing short of a disaster. In addition, Coke had a more successful redesign of its Minute Maid brand, and Florida Natural was taking well-aimed shots at both majors.
• Crain’s Chicago Business reports that McDonald’s plans to expand its Russia footprint by 45 stores, which will bring its total there to 290...dwarfing Burger King, which is just launching its business there.
• The Wall Street Journal reports that investor Ron Burkle’s Yucaipa Cos. has advised Barnes & Noble that it wants to increase its current 19 percent stake in the retailer to 37 percent.
According to the story, “In his letter to the Barnes & Noble board, dated Jan. 28, Mr. Burkle said it was unfair for the Riggio family, which founded the company, to own 37% of the shares while no other shareholder can hold 20% without triggering the rights plan, designed to thwart any potential hostile-takeover effort ... Mr. Burkle's move comes at a particularly challenging juncture in the bookselling business. Apple Inc., which recently unveiled its much-anticipated iPad tablet device, may eventually emerge as a major seller of electronic books, the fastest-growing segment of the publishing industry. Further, Google Inc. is expected to later this year enter the fray with its own e-bookstore called Google Editions.”
Yesterday, it was reported that Burkle was looking to make a move on Barney’s New York.
Pepsi blames an increase in share by private brand alternatives for the shift, but observers say that a more likely culprit is the company’s aborted redesign of its Tropicana brand, which was nothing short of a disaster. In addition, Coke had a more successful redesign of its Minute Maid brand, and Florida Natural was taking well-aimed shots at both majors.
• Crain’s Chicago Business reports that McDonald’s plans to expand its Russia footprint by 45 stores, which will bring its total there to 290...dwarfing Burger King, which is just launching its business there.
• The Wall Street Journal reports that investor Ron Burkle’s Yucaipa Cos. has advised Barnes & Noble that it wants to increase its current 19 percent stake in the retailer to 37 percent.
According to the story, “In his letter to the Barnes & Noble board, dated Jan. 28, Mr. Burkle said it was unfair for the Riggio family, which founded the company, to own 37% of the shares while no other shareholder can hold 20% without triggering the rights plan, designed to thwart any potential hostile-takeover effort ... Mr. Burkle's move comes at a particularly challenging juncture in the bookselling business. Apple Inc., which recently unveiled its much-anticipated iPad tablet device, may eventually emerge as a major seller of electronic books, the fastest-growing segment of the publishing industry. Further, Google Inc. is expected to later this year enter the fray with its own e-bookstore called Google Editions.”
Yesterday, it was reported that Burkle was looking to make a move on Barney’s New York.
- KC's View:
