Finance & Capital Management

Like it or not, we’re learning to function in pandemic times.

Coca-Cola is shutting down Odwalla, its juice and smoothie brand, at the end of this month.

Alimentation Couche-Tard says shopping patterns have changed during COVID-19 lockdowns with consumers purchasing larger-sized goods and stocking up on beer, wine and tobacco products.The Quebec-based convenience store chain says there has been strong growth in the sale of alcoholic beverages, in jurisdictions where these sales are permitted."With the closure of bars and restaurants, we saw a movement in packaged beverage towards larger take-home packages, particularly impacting all beer segments as customer buying shifted to larger pack formats,'' CEO Brian Hannasch said June 30 during a conference call about fourth-quarter and record full-year results.Couche-Tard beat expectations as it reported a fourth-quarter profit of US$576.3 million or 52 cents per share for the period ended April 26, up from US$293.1 million or 26 cents per share a year earlier.He noted that there was a shift to cases of 24 and 30 beers from six-packs, along with grocery-sized packages of salty and confectionery items."There was also a notable shift from instant consumption or single-serve to take-home packages in that category.''Even with traffic starting to improve as the economy reopens, Hannasch told analysts that he's been surprised that some of the larger-sized formats remain popular as customers are limiting their shopping trips."We've also gained new customers as we stayed open throughout the pandemic to meet their needs for emergency products, impulse buys and grocery items, which became increasingly popular, and we're seeing some stickiness,'' he said.Sales of food, fountain soft drinks and coffee, which declined with lower consumer traffic, have started to increase.

Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc.

The Trillium Network for Advanced Manufacturing says the number of workers Ontario breweries employ has tripled in the last decade.

Hundreds of workers at Regina's Co-op oil refinery complex will be returning to work after ratification of a tentative contract.

Nova Scotia's Crown liquor corporation does not have an adequate strategic plan for supporting the province's growing alcohol industry, a new report by the province's auditor general finds.

The families of three workers who died after contracting the coronavirus in an Iowa meat plant outbreak sued Tyson Foods and its top executives Thursday, saying the company knowingly put employees at risk and lied to keep them on the job.