General Mills (NYSE: GIS) is a consumer food company that sells its products through retail sales, convenience stores, and food-service distributors. The company serves customers in more than 100 countries on six continents. U.S. consumers purchase many General Mills products, including cereals, soups, pizzas, and desserts, from grocery stores. The company also sells products through membership stores such as Sam’s Club as well as food-service distributors, drug stores, and dollar stores.
Key Takeaways:
- General Mills is a consumer food powerhouse whose products include cereals, soups, pizzas, desserts, and pet food.
- The company expanded its presence in the pet treat industry with acquisitions of Blue Buffalo and Tyson Food’s pet treat portfolios.
- General Mills is well-known for its baking line including Betty Crocker and Pillsbury.
- The company owns many cereal brands, including Cheerios, Trix, Lucky Charms, Count Chocola, and Cocoa Puffs.
- Other major brands include Annie’s, Nature Valley, and Häagen-Dazs.
General Mills Brands
General Mills owns a collection of over 100 brands, and the company often reports on these brands based on their availability in Asia, Europe, North America, and South America. Its range of businesses includes breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert as well as raw ingredients and pet food.
The company described several key factors that could help it remain competitive in the market, including maintaining the integrity of its brands, manufacturing and production efficiency, and successfully integrating acquisitions into its operations, among others. The company reported sales of $5.1 billion in the third quarter of 2024 with an operating profit of $911 million.
Part of this includes successfully managing its subsidiary companies. In no particular order, here are some businesses, old and new, owned by General Mills.
Blue Buffalo
Blue Buffalo Pet Products was acquired in April 2018 for $8 billion. With the addition of Blue Buffalo, General Mills became the leader in the Wholesome Natural pet food category. Blue Buffalo sells dry food, wet food, and treats for dogs and cats.
Although Blue Buffalo is a key brand for the company, its pet segment saw declines in sales in the third quarter of 2024. This was largely due to drops in sales of treats and dry foods despite increased sales of wet pet food.
Important
To continue its expansion into the pet treat industry, General Mills acquired Tyson Foods’ pet treat portfolio for $1.2 billion in cash.
Betty Crocker
In 1921, Betty Crocker began providing cooking and baking guidance by responding to letters. Over 100 years later, this General Mills company has relaunched 12 editions of the famous Big Red cookbook. In 1954, General Mills trademarked the red spoon logo that is still used today.
The Betty Crocker product line has always historically been geared towards baking. Often most known for cake mixes, brownie mixes, cookie mixes, and frosting, Betty Crocker also owns brands including Bisquick, Fruit by the Foot, Gushers, Fruit Roll-Up, and Hamburger Helper products. Betty Crocker also sells instant potato and instant pasta salad products.
Annie’s
General Mills acquired Annie’s in October 2014. Annie’s is an organic food company founded in 1989, and the co-founders formed the business to make an organic macaroni and cheese product for families. Since the company’s founding, the firm has expanded into pasta, snacks, soups, and yogurt products.
The business focuses on simple, natural ingredients. In 2005, Annie’s purchased Annie’s Ingredients, a separate company that makes organic salad dressing and condiments. Annie’s is a firm that benefits from growing brand loyalty for organic foods.
Nature Valley
General Mills became the first major food company to sell granola bars when the Nature Valley crunchy granola bar made its debut in 1975. The brand has taken steps to make its product more sustainable by committing to fully recyclable packaging for all Nature Valley products by 2025.
Nature Valley segregates its product lines into three categories: bars, snacks, and granola. The product line for its bars encompasses crunchy, fruit, nut, soft-baked, protein, and wafer varieties, while its snack product line includes biscuits, biscuit sandwiches, and oatmeal squares.
Pillsbury
General Mills closed its purchase of the Pillsbury division of Diageo PLC in 2001. Pillsbury continues to produce many popular food brands including Old El Paso Mexican food, Green Giant vegetables, Progresso Soup, and Yoplait yogurt. The company is also known for its biscuits, cookies, crescent rolls, and cinnamon roll products.
Established in Minneapolis over 150 years ago, Pillsbury is often known for the Pillsbury Doughboy. The company is also famous for its famous annual Bake-Off contest, first running in 1949. Pillsbury’s branding approach also includes the collection and distribution of a repository of recipes via its website.
Poppin’ Fresh
The real name of the Pillsbury Doughboy. Standing 8 ¾ inches tall with his hat, the mascot was first featured in a commercial on Nov. 7, 1965.
Häagen-Dazs Japan
Created in 1960, Häagen-Dazs started with just three flavors. Today, its ice cream is distributed to over 90 countries, and the company has storefronts in 40 countries. The first Häagen-Dazs shop in Brooklyn Heights, New York is still open today.
General Mills has a joint partnership with Häagen-Dazs to manage and oversee operations outside of North American markets. Previously owned by Nestle, the United States product line is now overseen by Froneri as part of a December 2019 acquisition.
Although Häagen-Dazs is widely known for its ice cream, it boasts a diverse product line with a variety of distribution methods. The company sells tubs, minicups, multipacks, and stickbars. It also has special collection products including its DUO Ice Cream Collection (two ice creams in one container).
Note
Häagen-Dazs’ Cocktails Ice Cream Collection are concoctions containing less than 1.1% alcohol. This special collection is only being sold in tubs with flavors of pina colada and lime mojito sorbet.
Cereal Partners Worldwide
Cereal Partners Worldwide is a joint venture with Nestlé, and the business is one of the largest cereal makers in the world. CPW distributes cereal brands to 130 countries worldwide, including gluten-free and lower-sugar versions of popular brands. Established in 1990, the partnership employs over 4,000 individuals, operates 17 factories, and has sales teams in more than 130 markets.
Cereal Partners Worldwide is behind some of the most recognizable cereal and breakfast brands including Nesquik, Cheerios, Lucky Charms, Cocoa Puffs, Chex, and Corn Flakes.
Distribution Channels
General Mills has several distribution channels. Convenience store customers, for example, are most interested in ready-to-eat products, which means that cereals, snacks, yogurt, and breakfast items drive sales in this market. The food-service market, on the other hand, provides food to restaurants, hotels, hospitals, vending machines, and schools.
General Mills has a huge presence in the United States and international markets. The company continues to acquire and divest food businesses to add market share and address customer preferences. In addition to the acquisition of Tyson Foods’ pet treats, General Mills divested from the European Yoplait operations, selling 51% of controlling interest in 2021.
How Many Subsidiaries Does General Mills Own?
General Mills is a multinational company based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The company, which manufactures and sells consumer foods, has over 100 subsidiaries.
Who Are the Main Competitors of General Mills?
General Mills’ competitors are other global food distributors. Having expanded to many different product lines, General Mills product line composition is unique. However, it still competes with Nestle, Seneca Foods, Kraft Heinz, Kelloggs, and Mondelez.
Who Owns General Mills?
General Mills is a publicly traded company with over 100 subsidiaries. As of March 2024, Vanguard Group was the largest shareholder of General Mills with about 60.3 million company shares. This represents a 10.68% ownership stake in the company.
What Major Brands Does General Mills Own?
General Mills brands includes Annie’s, Betty Crocker, Nature Valley, Yoplait, Pillsbury, Haagen-Dazs, and Blue Buffalo. It also has ownership in various cereal products including Cheerios, Chex, Lucky Charms, Trix, and Cocoa Puffs.
The Bottom Line
Minneapolis, Minnesota-based General Mills is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of consumer food products by revenue. The company relies on major brand names and subsidiaries like Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, and Blue Buffalo to keep its competitive edge. You can invest directly in the company by purchasing its stock or through mutual funds and ETFs that have it in their portfolio. You may also want to consider funds that track the S&P 500 and the Russell 3000 as the company’s stock is a member of these indexes. Before you make any investment, make sure to do your research or consult a financial professional to ensure any investments align with your goals and financial situation.
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