• Reuters reports that Danone Manifesto Ventures, an investment fund sent up by food company Danone, wants to invest in as many as two dozen start-up companies that will challenge “the dominance of big brands” by 2020.
Among the companies already invested in by Danone are “French cookie company Michel et Augustin, frozen organic baby food company Yooji, and in Farmer’s Fridge, a U.S. company which makes vending machines that sell organic salads and snacks … It also recently invested in Hawaiian bottled water Kona Deep and Harmless Harvest, a U.S. premium coconut water firm.”
• In Minnesota, the Star Tribune reports that “Costco opens its Costco Business Center in Minneapolis on Wednesday, one of only 17 in the country and a first in Minnesota. Tailored to small businesses, it’s open to all Costco members but piled high with products for businesses such as restaurants, caterers, day-care centers, convenience stores, motels, vending machine operators and offices.”
The story notes that “a quarter of users of its business center order online, Costco said, which relieves the parking crunch. Nearly 70 percent of the items in a business center are not sold in a traditional Costco.”
• CNN reports on market speculation that Kraft Heinz is interested in acquiring Campbell Soup, even as the latter company engages in a review of its various businesses a month after the departure of CEO Denise Morrison, which came as the company predicted a less-than-rosy short-term outlook.
According to the story, “Kraft Heinz has reportedly been looking for another deal since it abandoned a plan to buy European food and beauty products conglomerate Unilever (UL) last year.”
Neither company has commented on the rumors.
Among the companies already invested in by Danone are “French cookie company Michel et Augustin, frozen organic baby food company Yooji, and in Farmer’s Fridge, a U.S. company which makes vending machines that sell organic salads and snacks … It also recently invested in Hawaiian bottled water Kona Deep and Harmless Harvest, a U.S. premium coconut water firm.”
• In Minnesota, the Star Tribune reports that “Costco opens its Costco Business Center in Minneapolis on Wednesday, one of only 17 in the country and a first in Minnesota. Tailored to small businesses, it’s open to all Costco members but piled high with products for businesses such as restaurants, caterers, day-care centers, convenience stores, motels, vending machine operators and offices.”
The story notes that “a quarter of users of its business center order online, Costco said, which relieves the parking crunch. Nearly 70 percent of the items in a business center are not sold in a traditional Costco.”
• CNN reports on market speculation that Kraft Heinz is interested in acquiring Campbell Soup, even as the latter company engages in a review of its various businesses a month after the departure of CEO Denise Morrison, which came as the company predicted a less-than-rosy short-term outlook.
According to the story, “Kraft Heinz has reportedly been looking for another deal since it abandoned a plan to buy European food and beauty products conglomerate Unilever (UL) last year.”
Neither company has commented on the rumors.
- KC's View:
