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Kraft Heinz pauses split, says issues are 'fixable'
Kraft Heinz has paused its plan to separate into two companies and will instead invest US$600 million into reviving its United States growth, saying many of its difficulties are “fixable”. The foods company announced the split in September, with one business focused on grocery products and the other on condiments. Kraft Heinz will invest into marketing, research and development, and select pricing, it said today. “Since joining the company, I have seen that the opportunity is larger than expected and that many of our challenges are fixable and within our control,” said Kraft Heinz CEO Steve Cahillane. Cahillane became CEO last month. “My number one priority is returning the business to profitable growth, which will require ensuring all resources are fully focused on the execution of our operating plan. As a result, we believe it is prudent to pause work related to the separation and we will no longer incur related dis-synergies this year.” The company had planned to complete the separation in the second half of 2026. Kraft Foods and the H.J. Heinz Company originally merged in 2015. Kraft Heinz’s sales fell by 3.5% year-over-year last quarter to $6.35 billion, it said today. This was below Zacks estimates of $6.42 bi
Food
Heineken to cut 6000 jobs; beer market faces downturn
Heineken has announced it will be axing up to 6000 jobs, as the beer market continues to struggle in "challenging market conditions". The brewing giant, which produces Heineken, Amstel and Tiger beers, said the cuts would come over the next two years, across brewing and white-collar roles. The cuts will equate to around 7% of its 87,000 workers worldwide. The latest earnings report saw that Heineken had a tough 2025, with total beer volumes declining 2.4% over the course of the year, and with a lower profit growth now forecast for the year ahead. "We remain prudent in our near-term expectations for beer market conditions," said Chief Executive Dolf van den Brink, who announced his resignation from his role with Heineken in January, and will step down in May.
Food
Coca-Cola revenues fall short; boosts key markets
Coca-Cola reported lower-than-expected quarterly revenues for the first time in five years. For the fourth quarter of 2025, the food and beverage company reported revenue growth of 2% to US$11.82 billion, but fell short of Wall Street’s $12.03 billion expectations. . Despite this, demand for its drinks in North America and Latin America is beginning to show improvements. Its volume in North America increased 1% and 2% in Latin America. However, when excluding transaction gains and other one-time items, Coke earned 58 cents per share, surpassing expectations of 56 cents per share. The company also reported net income attributable to shareholders of $2.27 billion, or 53 cents per share, up from last year’s $2.2 billion or 51 cents per share. Coke chairman and CEO, James Quincy, said the company’s performance in 2025 created strong momentum for 2026. “Looking ahead, we will focus on executing our strategy even better and positioning our system for long-term success,” he said. For the full year 2026, the company expects to deliver organic revenue growth of 4% to 5% Similar to rival PepsiCo, demand for Coke’s drinks has declined due to budget-conscious shoppers trying to save more on their grocery bills and di
Food
PepsiCo beats estimates, will cut prices
PepsiCo beat earnings and revenue estimates last quarter, and plans to lower prices this year to boost its growth. Revenue was up 5.6% to US$29.34 billion, and above LSEG estimates of $28.97 billion. Earnings per share rose 11% to $2.26, besting estimates of $2.24. “PepsiCo’s fourth quarter results reflected a sequential acceleration in reported and organic revenue growth, with improvements in both the North America and International businesses. Accelerated net revenue growth and strong productivity savings led to strong operating margin expansion and double-digit EPS growth in the fourth quarter,” said PepsiCo CEO Ramon Laguarta. “For fiscal 2026, we aim to accelerate growth by restaging large, global brands, introducing an expansive set of product innovation in emerging and functional spaces, and offering sharper value to address consumer affordability dynamics. We also aim to deliver a record year of productivity savings which will help fund investments to accelerate growth.” The company said it will cut prices on some products from brands like Lay’s, Tostito’s, Dorito’s, and Cheetos, and will relaunch brands like Gatorade and Quaker later in the year. Price cuts of as much as 15% have begun rolling out this week ah
Food
Starbucks sees traffic growth for first time in 2 years
Starbucks reports mixed results for Q1 2026, despite traffic growth for the first time in two years. The company’s CEO and chairman, Brian Niccol, said Starbucks’ Q1 results are thanks to its ‘Back to Starbucks’ strategy, which is working ahead of schedule. “It's great to see the sales momentum driven by more customers choosing Starbucks more often, and this is just the beginning,” he said. Global comparable store sales increased by 4%, driven by a 3% growth in comparable transactions and a 1% rise in average ticket. In the U.S alone, comparable store sales increased by 4%. Niccol said this was driven by demand for its holiday offerings, with this season's holiday menu launch being the best ever for the company’s North American business. The company also experienced a 7% growth in the Chinese market. During the quarter, Starbucks announced its plans to form a joint venture with Boyu Capital to run its business in China. “This partnership will help us expand into more cities, deliver exceptional coffee experiences, create new career opportunities for partners, and strengthen Starbucks’ position as a global brand for long-term growth,” Niccol said on the company’s earnings conference call. Starbucks’ revenue

Food
The Founders: Leveraging Aussie products
With Australian companies looking to enter the booming Asian market, RooLife prides itself on having the expertise to make this shift possible. The company has already helped multiple companies be successful in the Chinese market. CEO and managing director, Bryan Carr, says this has been possible through RooLife’s knowledge of what sells best and how the Chinese market differs from the West. “We're very well entrenched and understand the market,” he tells Azzet. “I think that's probably the advantage that we have, is that many businesses look to go into markets like China, but they take their Western or home market thinking.”How does China differ from the West?When transferring a business's services to the Chinese market, Carr says they typically have to start from ground zero with brand recognition. “What we've identified is that if there's a really well-known brand in Australia, and you take it to China, it may as well be a completely unknown brand,” he says. “You still have to do the same work, the same sort of trust and you know, market entry time requirements.” Due to this, Carr says when RooLife is propelling a company into the Chinese market, they often treat it like a brand-new company. “We operate
Food
Jim Beam pauses production at its main distillery
Bourbon maker Jim Beam will pause production at its distillery on 1 January for all of 2026, following rising inventory. In a statement, the company said it would close its distillery in Kentucky until it took the “opportunity to invest in site enhancements”. “We are always assessing production levels to best meet consumer demand and recently met with our team to discuss our volumes for 2026,” it said. The decision comes as whiskey distillers in the U.S. face uncertainty around President Donald Trump’s trade tariffs, as well as declining rates of alcohol consumption. Kentucky has a record high inventory of 16.1 million aging barrels of bourbon in its warehouse, according to the Kentucky Distillers Association. Distillers are paying for that supply, since the state charges taxes on aging barrels of spirits. According to the trade group, Kentucky distillers paid US$75 million in aging barrel taxes this year, an increase of 27% from 2024. While the Jim Beam distiller will pause for a year, its parent company, Suntory Global Spirits, will continue operations at its Fred B. Noe craft distillery in Clermont and Booker Noe distillery in Boston, Kentucky. “We are always assessing production levels to best meet cons
Food
Coca-Cola’s Costa exit faces valuation hurdles
United States soft drinks company Coca-Cola, is scrambling to save its Costa Coffee sale after a pricing standoff put the deal on the brink, forcing urgent weekend talks with private equity suitor TDR Capital. Coca-Cola’s plan to sell Costa Coffee is wobbling, with negotiations threatening to fall apart just days after TDR Capital was named preferred bidder. While TDR was selected as Coca-Cola's preferred bidder last week, talks with the company and its advisers at Lazard have stumbled over the price of a deal that is understood to include the soft drinks giant retaining a small stake in the British coffee chain. According to the Financial Times, the two sides are locked in last-minute discussions as they try to bridge a gap over valuation. At the heart of the dispute is price, with Coca-Cola understood to be chasing around £2 billion (A$4.01 billion) for Costa. This is considered a tough sell given that the business has struggled to keep up with cheaper rivals and independent cafés while battling higher costs. The current proposal would leave Coca-Cola holding a minority holding, a lever that could yet be pulled to get the deal across the line. If talks fail, Coca-Cola is expected to decide next week whethe
Food
Founders: CINCiN making a name in the alcohol market
CINCiN beverages entered the market around a year ago with a focus on making a lighter, high-quality alternative to traditional drinks. The drinks company was founded by siblings Julian and Claudette van den Berg alongside their father Frank, and the drinks finally launched on 12 December 2024. Entering into a volatile and competitive market, the family business was able to succeed in its first year due to its ability to follow alcohol trends and the founder’s business knowledge.Family affairWhile creating the business has been an endeavour years in the making, Julian says, he, Claudette and Frank took a leap of faith last year, quitting their jobs and diving headfirst into the business. Each member of the family brings different business knowledge to the table, from Frank with his manufacturing knowledge, Claudette with her marketing and branding expertise, to Julian’s experience with startups, focusing on customer experience. “I think we all come from experience-led backgrounds where it's all about thinking about the end journey and the user journey,” Julian tells Azzet. Julian says this has always been a dream for the family and that they took their time bringing the drinks to the market. “It was about a year