Ferrara Candy’s headquarters move ranked highest among this week’s most-read food and beverage news. The company will move its headquarters from Oakbrook Terrace, Ill., to downtown Chicago when it takes over the Old Main Post Office building this summer. CEO Todd Siwak projects that about 400 employees will work in the new office.
News of CPG acquisitions also made waves this week, including Procter & Gamble’s acquisition of health-and-beauty startup Walker & Co., Conagra’s sale of Wesson oil to Canada-based Richardson International, and the sale of Cholula Hot Sauce to a private equity firm.
In the grocery arena, Kroger’s launch of autonomous grocery delivery vehicles in Arizona caught readers’ attention, along with news that Costco is seeing increased foot traffic and higher sales of big-ticket items this holiday season.
Finally on the restaurant side, readers were interested in news that a company controlled by Landry’s owner Tilman Fertitta has acquired Minneapolis-based food delivery firm Bite Squad in a deal valued at $321 million.
Check out the full list of this week’s 10 most popular food and beverage stories from SmartBrief:
1. Ferrara Candy relocating HQ to downtown Chicago
2. Kroger begins deliveries via self-driving vehicle
3. General Mills releases 2 new cereals
4. Butterfinger updating recipe, packaging in 2019
5. P&G buys health-and-beauty startup Walker & Co.
6. Conagra finds buyer for Wesson oil brand
7. General Mills, Kellogg among brands granted new baking patents
8. Costco wins holiday shoppers by staying the course
9. Fertitta buys 2nd food delivery company
10. Cholula Hot Sauce acquired by private equity firm
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