Can Campbell Soup translate for China, Russia?
"This could take awhile," writes one Campbell-watcher
Can Campbell Soup repeat its century-old U.S. success abroad, in "high-opportunity" China and Russia, which have the potential for "five times U.S. (soup) consumption," as Janney Capital Markets analyst Jonathan Feeney puts it n a report to clients after an investors' meeting with Campbell bosses.
Campbell is still experimenting with "the right package sizes and products," Feeney says. "This could take awhile," and foreign ventures could, at worst, "be a drag on earnings per share" for "years."
Meanwhile, Campbell is trying to control rising food and energy costs with SAP AG business software and simpler soup recipes, while trying to boost sales with new products like "Deli Flat" baked goods and vegetable-based V8 Fusion with Tea.