Nils-Gerrit Wunsch
Research expert covering foods trends in North America, Europe, and the global food system
Even if you have never tasted Campbell’s soups, you probably have seen Andy Warhol’s famous artwork of its soup cans. Very little has changed since 1962, and the soups that still form one of the pillars of the company’s business have retained their iconic red and white look. Currently, the Campbell Soup Company does generate almost half of its sales from trading snacks. The last year soup was the largest sales segment for Campbell’s was 2017, the same year the company acquired the snack maker Snyder's-Lance in its largest acquisition deal ever. Snyder’s-Lance and its brands joined the long-owned Campbell subsidiary Pepperidge Farm, who had already operated a significant snack business.
While Campbell’s is a very traditional U.S. based and orientated soup company, it nonetheless has successfully embraced the snack business to stay competitive in the 21st century.
Inside the soup can
The soup segment is still performing well for the company and accounts for 2.7 billion U.S. dollars of annual net sales. Simple meals and beverages round out the company’s snack and soup business. With Kettle and Cape Cod, the company owns two brands in the ranking of the leading ten potato chip brands in the United States. Together, they generate over 700 million U.S. dollars in Sales. A significant business, but dwarfed by the market leader PepsiCo and its Frito Lay brand.Soup made in the USA
The Campbell Soup Company is a business primarily focused on the U.S. market. It is so focused on this market that it no longer reports a breakdown of its net sales by region in its annual report. The company generated 9.36 billion U.S. dollars in net sales in 2023. The year has been brought good business for Campbell’s and net sales grew by almost 800 million U.S. dollars. The company’s sales figures put Campbell’s in the list of the top U.S. food and beverage processors. However, it falls outside the leading twenty entries in the list.While Campbell’s is a very traditional U.S. based and orientated soup company, it nonetheless has successfully embraced the snack business to stay competitive in the 21st century.
