Latest news with #LizMascolo
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
General Mills introduces 'fresh' Blue Buffalo dog food
By Jessica DiNapoli NEW YORK (Reuters) -General Mills is introducing a fresh version of its Blue Buffalo pet food for dogs, aimed at competing with popular brands such as Freshpet and venture capital-backed The Farmer's Dog. The Minnesota-based packaged food maker is entering the fresh pet food market because it projects that over the next decade it will soar in retail sales to $10 billion, from a little over $3 billion currently, said Liz Mascolo, the segment president of General Mills' North America pet business. Retail sales in U.S. pet food total about $53 billion, Mascolo said. Fresh pet food is marketed as minimally processed products without preservatives that sometimes are fit for human consumption. General Mills expects the fresh version of its Blue Buffalo brand will be in retail stores later this year. "The reason why it's growing and the reason we're interested in it ... is the humanization of the pet food category," Mascolo said. "What I mean by that, is people are increasingly treating pets like other members of family, with birthday parties (for example). "We talk with pet parents, and they're looking for food that looks, smells and feels like real human food," Mascolo said. Mascolo said that dog owners will sometimes combine pricier fresh dog food, stored in the refrigerator or freezer, with cheaper traditional kibble. General Mills, which entered the pet food category in 2018 with its $8 billion acquisition of Blue Buffalo, is also bringing European brand Edgard & Cooper to U.S. PetSmart stores in July. The company, which also makes brands such as Betty Crocker cake mixes and Progresso soups, acquired Edgard & Cooper last year. The high-end pet food company at the time had 100 million euro in sales. In the nine months ended February 23, General Mills' pet business reported net sales rising 1%. Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
Reuters
10 hours ago
- Business
- Reuters
General Mills introduces 'fresh' Blue Buffalo dog food
NEW YORK, June 23 (Reuters) - General Mills (GIS.N), opens new tab is introducing a fresh version of its Blue Buffalo pet food for dogs, aimed at competing with popular brands such as Freshpet (FRPT.O), opens new tab and venture capital-backed The Farmer's Dog. The Minnesota-based packaged food maker is entering the fresh pet food market because it projects that over the next decade it will soar in retail sales to $10 billion, from a little over $3 billion currently, said Liz Mascolo, the segment president of General Mills' North America pet business. Retail sales in U.S. pet food total about $53 billion, Mascolo said. Fresh pet food is marketed as minimally processed products without preservatives that sometimes are fit for human consumption. General Mills expects the fresh version of its Blue Buffalo brand will be in retail stores later this year. "The reason why it's growing and the reason we're interested in it ... is the humanization of the pet food category," Mascolo said. "What I mean by that, is people are increasingly treating pets like other members of family, with birthday parties (for example). "We talk with pet parents, and they're looking for food that looks, smells and feels like real human food," Mascolo said. Mascolo said that dog owners will sometimes combine pricier fresh dog food, stored in the refrigerator or freezer, with cheaper traditional kibble. General Mills, which entered the pet food category in 2018 with its $8 billion acquisition of Blue Buffalo, is also bringing European brand Edgard & Cooper to U.S. PetSmart stores in July. The company, which also makes brands such as Betty Crocker cake mixes and Progresso soups, acquired Edgard & Cooper last year. The high-end pet food company at the time had 100 million euro in sales. In the nine months ended February 23, General Mills' pet business reported net sales rising 1%.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
General Mills introduces 'fresh' Blue Buffalo dog food
By Jessica DiNapoli NEW YORK (Reuters) -General Mills is introducing a fresh version of its Blue Buffalo pet food for dogs, aimed at competing with popular brands such as Freshpet and venture capital-backed The Farmer's Dog. The Minnesota-based packaged food maker is entering the fresh pet food market because it projects that over the next decade it will soar in retail sales to $10 billion, from a little over $3 billion currently, said Liz Mascolo, the segment president of General Mills' North America pet business. Retail sales in U.S. pet food total about $53 billion, Mascolo said. Fresh pet food is marketed as minimally processed products without preservatives that sometimes are fit for human consumption. General Mills expects the fresh version of its Blue Buffalo brand will be in retail stores later this year. "The reason why it's growing and the reason we're interested in it ... is the humanization of the pet food category," Mascolo said. "What I mean by that, is people are increasingly treating pets like other members of family, with birthday parties (for example). "We talk with pet parents, and they're looking for food that looks, smells and feels like real human food," Mascolo said. Mascolo said that dog owners will sometimes combine pricier fresh dog food, stored in the refrigerator or freezer, with cheaper traditional kibble. General Mills, which entered the pet food category in 2018 with its $8 billion acquisition of Blue Buffalo, is also bringing European brand Edgard & Cooper to U.S. PetSmart stores in July. The company, which also makes brands such as Betty Crocker cake mixes and Progresso soups, acquired Edgard & Cooper last year. The high-end pet food company at the time had 100 million euro in sales. In the nine months ended February 23, General Mills' pet business reported net sales rising 1%. Sign in to access your portfolio
Business Wire
10 hours ago
- Business
- Business Wire
General Mills Accelerates Growth With Blue Buffalo Expansion Into Fresh and Edgard & Cooper U.S. Launch
MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--General Mills today announced two new launches within its North America Pet segment with initiatives from Blue Buffalo and Edgard & Cooper, designed to meet evolving pet parent preferences and accelerate the company's growth in pet feeding. Blue Buffalo to launch 'Love Made Fresh' Blue Buffalo — the most loved and trusted natural pet food brand in the U.S. — is entering fresh pet food with the national launch of 'Love Made Fresh,' offering pet parents more ways to love and feed their pets like family. Using its trusted nutritional philosophy and superior ingredients, Blue Buffalo will meet a growing trend of pet parents looking for fresh pet food, as well as a preference for mixing fresh with kibble and other formats. Blue Buffalo's 'Love Made Fresh' will feature multiple formats and a variety of flavorful recipes, designed to be a standalone fresh solution or a perfect companion to its portfolio of dry dog food. Arriving in stores nationwide later this year, this new fresh portfolio reflects General Mills' commitment to meet the evolving expectations of pet parents and unlock growth in a dynamic $3 billion fresh pet food sub-category. With this launch, Blue Buffalo will represent the largest U.S. pet food brand to offer solutions across dry, wet and fresh feeding. Edgard & Cooper expands to U.S. Following its April 2024 acquisition of Edgard & Cooper, a leading European premium pet food brand, General Mills will launch the brand in the U.S. this July through an exclusive retail partnership with PetSmart, a leading omni-channel pet retailer. This U.S. launch will feature Edgard & Cooper's fresh take on pet nutrition, with recipes made with real, recognizable ingredients like fresh chicken, venison and duck, combined with nutritious fruits and vegetables. The range spanning dry food, wet food and treats is designed to support dogs of all breeds and life stages. The national PetSmart launch will leverage Edgard & Cooper's digital-first, social-led marketing approach — a proven driver of its rapid growth in Europe — and further PetSmart's position in the super-premium segment. 'Pet parents are redefining how they feed and treat their pets, and at General Mills, we're listening and continuing to bring trusted, high-quality natural solutions to a rapidly evolving marketplace,' said Liz Mascolo, segment president, North America Pet, General Mills. 'These moves position us to lead in both scale and innovation across the pet food aisle, with offerings that appeal to the fastest growing demographic in the category — young pet parents.' These investments align with General Mills' Accelerate strategy, combining brand leadership with relentless innovation and consumer-centric insights to drive long-term growth. Stay tuned to learn more about Blue Buffalo's 'Love Made Fresh' portfolio, coming to stores nationwide later this year. Learn more about Edgard & Cooper's U.S. portfolio at General Mills makes food the world loves. The company is guided by its Accelerate strategy to boldly build its brands, relentlessly innovate, unleash its scale and stand for good. Its portfolio of beloved brands includes household names like Cheerios, Nature Valley, Blue Buffalo, Häagen-Dazs, Old El Paso, Pillsbury, Betty Crocker, Yoplait, Totino's, Annie's, Wanchai Ferry, Yoki and more. General Mills generated fiscal 2024 net sales of U.S. $20 billion. In addition, the company's share of non-consolidated joint venture net sales totaled U.S. $1 billion. For more information, visit
