By Juveria Tabassum
(Reuters) -Keurig Dr Pepper said on Monday it will buy Dutch coffee company JDE Peet's for $18.4 billion at a time when the highly competitive global coffee industry grapples with steep commodity costs, and people look for healthier sodas.
Deal-making in the packaged food industry has been robust, with companies looking for consolidation and help to weather inflationary pressures and shifting consumer preferences.
Here's a list of the biggest M&As in the industry over the past few
decades:
Date Merger
Dec. Britain's Cadbury Schweppes Plc agreed to buy U.S.
17 sweet maker Adams, owner of Trident and Dentyne
2002 chewing gums and Halls cough drops, for $4.2
billion from drugmaker Pfizer, making it the
world's largest confectionery group.
Nov. Kraft Foods completes its acquisition of
30, France-based Group Danone's global biscuit business
2007 for 5.3 billion euros ($7.2 billion), including the
LU family of brands, expanding the largest North
American food maker's foothold in Europe and
emerging markets.
April Mars created the world's largest confectionary
29, company with its $23 billion acquisition of chewing
2008 gum manufacturer Wm Wrigley Jr Co. Combined, the
two companies held 14.4% of the global
confectionary market in 2006.
Jan. Nestle bought Kraft Foods' North American frozen
5, pizza business for $3.7 billion and ruled out an
2010 offer for Cadbury.
Jan. Kraft Foods bought British candy maker Cadbury for
19, about $19.6 billion, creating the world's biggest
2010 confectioner, marking the largest European food and
beverage deal on record, according to Thomson
Reuters data.
Aug. Kraft Foods said it would spin-off its grocery
4, business to focus on its snacks unit, which was
2011 seeing strong growth in emerging markets.
April Nestle bought U.S. drugmaker Pfizer's infant
. 23, nutrition business for $11.85 billion, beating out
2012 French rival Danone as both sought to gain a strong
foothold in the baby food market.
Oct. Kraft Foods completes the split of its business,
1, creating two separate companies. Mondelez
2012 International, a global snacks company, and Kraft
Foods Group, which would be the North American
grocery products firm.
July H.J. Heinz Co, backed by Warren Buffett's Berkshire
2, Hathaway Inc, completed its purchase of Kraft Foods
2015 Group Inc in a $46 billion deal, creating the
third-largest food and beverage company in North
America and fifth largest worldwide.
The new company, Kraft Heinz, was expected to have
about $28 billion of annual revenue from brands
such as Oscar Mayer, Jell-O and Heinz ketchup.
Aug. Mondelez International abandoned its pursuit to
29, acquire Reese's Peanut Butter Cups maker Hersheys
2016 after the company turned down its $23 billion
cash-and-stock offer. The deal would have created
the world's largest confectioner at the time,
overtaking Mars.
Jan. Swiss food group Nestle, also the world's biggest
18, packaged-food company, agreed to sell its U.S.
2018 confectionery business to Italy's Ferrero, maker of
Nutella spread and Ferrero Rocher, for $2.8
billion.
Jan. Keurig Green Mountain struck a deal worth more than
29, $21 billion to combine with soda maker Dr Pepper
2018 Snapple Group Inc to form a North American drinks
company, Keurig Dr Pepper
Feb. Cheerios cereal maker General Mills bought Blue
23, Buffalo Pet Products Inc for nearly $8 billion,
2018 foraying into a fast-growing pet food market to
counter declining sales of processed foods, as
consumers turned more health conscious.
Dec. Nestle SA agreed to sell its U.S. ice cream
11, business to Froneri in a deal valued at $4 billion,
2019 moving control of brands including Häagen-Dazs to a
joint venture the Swiss group set up in 2016.
June Cadbury parent Mondelez International bought energy
21, bar maker Clif Bar & Company for $2.9 billion, as
2022 the company continued to consolidate its global
presence.
April Mondelez International broadened its presence in
25, Mexico with a $1.3 billion purchase of breadmaker
2022 Grupo Bimbo's confectionery business, Ricolino.
Dec. Mondelez sold its gum business, which housed brands
19, such as Trident and Dentyne, in developed markets
2022 to European gum and confectionery maker and Mentos
parent Perfetti Van Melle Group for $1.35 billion
March U.S. packaged food maker Campbell Soup completes
12, the acquisition of Rao's Homemade-owner Sovos
2024 Brands in a $2.33-billion deal.
Aug. Snickers-maker Mars buys Pringles owner Kellanova
14, in a nearly $36 billion deal.
2024
Sept. Cheerios maker General Mills sold North America
12, yogurt business to French dairy firms Groupe
2024 Lactalis and Sodiaal in a $2.1 billion deal.
Oct. PepsiCo bought Siete Foods parent Garza Food
1, Ventures for $1.2 billion, beefing up the Frito-Lay
2024 owner's snacking portfolio amid a shift to
private-label brands among cost-conscious
consumers.
Dec. General Mills bought Whitebridge Pet Brands' North
21, American premium cat feeding and pet treating
2024 business, which includes Tiki Pets and Cloud Star
brands, for $1.45 billion.
July WK Kellogg agreed to be bought by the owner of
10, Ferrero Rocher in a deal worth around $3.1 billion,
2025 as the cereal maker struggled with weakening
consumer demand.
Aug. Keurig Dr Pepper said it will buy Dutch coffee
25, company JDE Peet's for $18.4 billion in cash, and
2025 the combined firm will split its beverages and
coffee units as it looks for a firmer stronghold
over the global coffee and North America
refreshment beverages markets.
Source: Company releases, Reuters articles
(Reporting by Juveria Tabassum and Anshi Sancheti; Editing by Maju Samuel and Sahal Muhammed)
