I want to take a few moments to explain why I'm confident that we can turn the top line in 2026. First, our new product initiatives will simplify our offering and should attract a broader set of new customers while building on demand from our repeat buyers. This product evolution will capitalize on Sleep Number Corporation's strong differentiators in adjustable firmness and temperature. While other brands deliver elements of what we do, we deliver it all. And in my opinion, we do it better. Second, we are r ...

This story was originally published on Packaging Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Packaging Dive newsletter. By the numbers: Q3 2025 Net sales: $1.35B Flat year over year Food net sales: $910M Up 1.3% year over year Protective net sales: $442M Down 1.2% year over year Net earnings: $186M Up from $89M in Q3 2024 Overview: Sealed Air continues work on its business turnaround, including with new CFO Kristen Actis-Grande as part of its leadership team as of Q3. The substrat ...

Core Viewpoint - Starbucks Corp. has agreed to sell a majority stake in its China business to Boyu Capital at a $4 billion enterprise value to improve its performance in the country [1][2]. Group 1: Partnership and Investment - Boyu Capital will acquire up to a 60% interest in Starbucks' retail operations in China through a new joint venture, while Starbucks retains 40% and continues to license the brand [1]. - The deal concludes Starbucks' search for a partner to navigate its future in China, where it operates approximately 8,000 stores [2]. - Boyu Capital is negotiating a loan of around $1.4 billion to support its investment in Starbucks' China business [5]. Group 2: Market Challenges - Starbucks has faced challenges in China, losing market share to local competitors like Luckin Coffee, which offers significantly lower prices [3][4]. - The coffee chain's expansion has been limited due to intense competition and changing consumer preferences, particularly post-COVID [4]. Group 3: Strategic Changes - Starbucks is implementing strategies to attract customers, including opening free "study rooms," expanding its drink menu, and reducing prices [10]. - Recent efforts have led to a return to growth in comparable sales over the past two quarters [11]. Group 4: Future Outlook - Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol expressed a vision to grow the number of Starbucks locations in China from 8,000 to over 20,000 [9]. - The total value of Starbucks' China retail business is expected to exceed $13 billion, including licensing value [12].

Core Insights - Shake Shack reported a net income of $12.5 million for Q3 2025, a significant turnaround from a net loss of $10.21 million in Q3 2024 [1] - Total revenue for the quarter reached $367.4 million, reflecting a 15.9% increase from $316.92 million year-over-year [1] - System-wide sales increased by 15.4% to $571.5 million compared to the same period in 2024 [1] Financial Performance - Operating income for Q3 2025 was $18.5 million, compared to an operating loss of $18 million in the same quarter of the previous year [2] - For the full year 2025, Shake Shack projects total revenue of $1.45 billion, with licensing revenue expected to be between $54.1 million and $54.5 million [2] - The company forecasts net income for 2025 to be between $50 million and $60 million [2] Strategic Initiatives - Shake Shack's CEO highlighted progress on strategic priorities, emphasizing improvements in guest service, operational efficiency, and culinary innovation [3] - The company plans to open its first location in Hawaii in 2027 and aims to establish 15 new locations in Vietnam by 2035 [3]

Core Insights - PepsiCo reported higher revenue in its fiscal third quarter, but profit declined as volumes fell [1][4] - The company is undergoing a leadership change with the appointment of Steve Schmitt as CFO to address slowing sales and pressure from an activist investor [2][3] Financial Performance - Revenue for the three months ended September 6 was nearly $24 billion, reflecting a 2.7% increase year-over-year, driven by international business resilience and improved North American beverage performance [4] - Organic sales rose by 1.3% during the same period [4] - Profit decreased and volumes fell, with North America, which constitutes about 60% of PepsiCo's business, experiencing a 4% decline in food volumes and a 3% decline in beverage volumes [5] Strategic Focus - The new CFO, Schmitt, will focus on enhancing growth, reorganizing the cost structure, and maximizing brand investment [6] - The company has been reshaping its portfolio by cutting underperforming products and launching new ones aligned with health and wellness trends [6] - Schmitt's experience at Walmart is expected to aid in growing PepsiCo's digital business, which is a priority for the company [7] Market Context - PepsiCo's share price has declined over 15% from a year ago, influenced by its recent performance [8] - Activist investor Elliott Investment Management has acquired a roughly $4 billion stake in PepsiCo and is advocating for refranchising its bottling business and other changes to enhance the company's share price [8]

Core Insights - United Parcel Service (UPS) has experienced a significant decline in stock price, dropping 32% year to date and approximately 60% from its pandemic-era highs [1][2] - The decline in earnings is attributed to increased labor costs, narrowed margins due to weaker U.S. volumes, and tariff challenges [2] - UPS is shifting its focus towards high-margin clients, particularly in the healthcare logistics sector, which could lead to a turnaround in performance [2][6] Financial Performance - The stock price of UPS has fallen by double digits in 2025, reflecting broader challenges in the transportation sector [1] - Total healthcare revenue for UPS was $10.5 billion in 2024, with ambitions to double this to $20 billion by 2026 [4] Strategic Moves - UPS strategically ended its partnership with Amazon, which accounted for about 11.8% of its revenue last year, to focus on higher-margin clients [3] - The company has made acquisitions, such as Andlauer Healthcare in April 2025 and Bomi in 2022, to enhance its healthcare logistics capabilities [4] Market Outlook - The healthcare sector is seen as a promising area for UPS, as clients prioritize reliability over cost, potentially leading to higher-margin deliveries [5] - The combination of healthcare logistics and other high-margin business segments could inspire renewed investor confidence and reverse the current downward trend in stock price [6]

Group 1 - Starbucks has faced challenges leading to a 4% decline in share price over the past five years, trading 34% below its record high as of September 18 [1][3] - The company has hired former Chipotle CEO Brian Niccol to improve operations, focusing on enhancing customer experience and simplifying the menu [4][6] - Same-store sales have declined 2% in the latest fiscal quarter, marking the sixth consecutive quarter of decline, raising concerns among investors [5][8] Group 2 - Starbucks holds a market capitalization of $94 billion and has delivered a total return of 32,850% since its IPO in 1992, significantly outperforming the S&P 500 [7] - The company aims to regain its status as a top destination for customers, with optimism surrounding the turnaround efforts [6][8]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Statutory NPAT for FY 2025 was $28.1 million, including $52.3 million in post-tax significant items, reflecting a challenging year [40] - Pro forma NPAT decreased by 8.4% to $80.4 million, with group revenue declining by 1.5% [40][41] - EBITDA grew by 5.2% year-over-year, despite a decline in pro forma impact by 8.4% [7][40] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Trade business revenue grew by 1.3% and EBITDA by 5.4%, while Specialist Wholesale saw a decline in revenue by 3.2% but an increase in EBITDA by 5.2% [24][25][30] - Retail revenue declined by 3.5%, with a significant impact from lower discretionary spending and higher operating costs [32][33] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - New Zealand's revenue declined by 3.2% in Australian dollar terms, reflecting challenging economic conditions [35] - The company experienced a shift away from discretionary retail spending, impacting overall revenue performance [24][32] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company outlined six strategic imperatives: optimizing the network, one supply chain, customer focus, digitalizing the business, store fitness, and simplifying the business [14][50] - A strategic reset is underway, focusing on long-term sustainable profitability and cultural changes within the organization [5][11] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management acknowledged the challenges faced in FY 2025 but expressed confidence in the company's ability to recover and grow in FY 2026 [6][51] - The focus will be on driving organic growth and improving operational efficiency through supply chain enhancements and digitization [51][52] Other Important Information - The company declared a final dividend of $0.55 per share, representing a full-year payout ratio of 57% [11] - Significant changes in the balance sheet were made to ensure financial clarity moving into FY 2026 [42][45] Q&A Session Summary Question: Outlook for the trade segment and recovery focus - Management emphasized the importance of recovery in the trade segment, linking it to overall group strategy and sales performance [55][56] Question: Cost allocation and expectations for FY 2026 - Management indicated that a significant reorganization is underway, and clarity on cost allocations will be provided in future quarters [58] Question: Expectations for achieving sales CAGR and EBITDA CAGR - Management committed to providing updates on progress towards five-year goals as results are reported, without giving specific guidance for FY 2026 [61] Question: Impact of loyalty program on sales - Management acknowledged the early stages of the loyalty program and its potential impact on sales, but specific metrics were not available [70][72] Question: Market share trends in trade and retail - Management noted that while market share was stable over the year, there were periods of decline, particularly in May and June [90] Question: Plans for store closures and profitability - Management confirmed ongoing evaluations of store performance and plans to close underperforming locations as necessary [102][105]

Core Insights - Brinker International reported a significant increase in comparable sales for Chili's, with a year-over-year rise of 23.7% for the quarter ending June 25, while Maggiano's experienced a slight decline of 0.4% [2] - The growth in traffic at Chili's is attributed to effective advertising and operational improvements as part of a three-year turnaround plan [3] Marketing Strategies - A notable marketing initiative was the "Fast Food Financing" pop-up experience in New York City, which highlighted the value of Chili's meals compared to fast food [4][5] - The marketing efforts have successfully created nationwide buzz and reinforced Chili's position as a value leader in the restaurant sector [5] Operational Improvements - Recent operational enhancements at Chili's include the installation of new kitchen equipment for better cooking efficiency and a streamlined menu to simplify the ordering process [5] - Future plans for 2026 involve a significant simplification of the iPad application used for order taking, aimed at improving user experience and operational efficiency [6] Management and Leadership Changes - Brinker International is making leadership changes at Maggiano's, with plans to implement successful strategies from Chili's turnaround [7] - The company emphasizes the importance of listening to restaurant teams for ideas to accelerate Maggiano's recovery [8]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Normalized operating margin increased by 10 basis points year-over-year to 10.7%, with all three business segments showing positive results for the first time since 2022 [6][22] - Normalized gross margin rose by 80 basis points to 35.6%, marking the highest rate in four years and the eighth consecutive quarter of year-over-year expansion [7][22] - Normalized earnings per share (EPS) reached $0.24, at the top end of the guidance range, despite a higher than expected tax rate [8][22] - Core sales for the second quarter decreased by 4.4%, while net sales contracted by 4.8% due to unfavorable foreign exchange and business exits [21][22] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The international business, accounting for nearly 40% of total sales, achieved positive core sales growth for the sixth consecutive quarter [22] - The Writing and Home Fragrance segments reported growth in core sales, while the Baby business also showed positive trends [22][49] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Market growth was estimated to be down in low single digits for 2025, with Newell Brands largely maintaining market share during the first half of the year [9][10] - The company expects subdued market growth as certain consumer cohorts remain under pressure [10] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on improving front-end capabilities and has strengthened distribution, innovation, and marketing plans for the second half of the year [10][11] - Newell Brands is positioned to benefit from global tariff-driven trade realignment, leveraging its North American manufacturing capabilities [11][12] - A significant investment in marketing is planned for 2025, with expectations of higher returns on investment due to improved marketing capabilities [15][16] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed cautious optimism about the mid- to long-term trajectory of the U.S. and global economy, while remaining cautious in the short term due to inflation and high interest rates [17][18] - The company updated its core sales guidance to reflect category growth expectations at the low end of the prior range, offset by better foreign exchange [18][27] Other Important Information - The company redeemed $1.25 billion in outstanding bonds, indicating strong investor support for its corporate strategy [24] - ERP harmonization efforts are on track to be completed by 2026, following successful integrations in the second quarter [25] Q&A Session Summary Question: Comments on back-to-school performance and exit rates across categories - Management noted that it is early to assess back-to-school performance but expressed confidence in sell-in and setup heading into the season, with record high fill rates and secured exclusivity on key products [36][38] Question: Core sales moving in the wrong direction despite innovation - Management highlighted sequential progress in core sales growth, with improvements noted in specific segments like Writing and Baby, while acknowledging challenges in broader category growth dynamics [47][48] Question: Drivers of expected core sales improvement in Q4 - Management indicated that tariff distribution wins and significant innovation launches, particularly for Yankee Candle, are expected to drive improvement in Q4 [56][58] Question: Impact of retailer inventory destocking and competitive pricing response - Management observed some impact from inventory destocking due to direct import issues but noted that overall retail inventories remain in good shape [82][83]