So last year, the Minneapolis food manufacturer teamed up with 16 competitors to launch an e-commerce network.
Members go online to find carriers with extra cargo space and then piggyback their loads.
Underperforming units are being jettisoned, while faster-growing brands are being positioned to bolster the bottom line. On the supermarket side, consolidation has also slowed. With so few big chains left to buy, there were only eight major deals last year, down from 19 in 1999. Kroger and Albertson's are expected to round out their holdings in coming months, but smaller regional acquisitions are the likely targets. There's going to be a lot of pressure on retailers, and that comes from consumers,'' notes Hughes.