Campbell's Cuts 13% of Salaried Workforce and Closes Two Snack Plants in Turnaround Push
Key Takeaways
- •Campbell's is eliminating 13% of its salaried workforce and closing two plants in its snacks business as part of a major restructuring.
- •The company aims to generate approximately $500 million in cost savings by fiscal 2030.
- •CEO Mick Beekhuizen, who succeeded Mark Clouse in early 2025, described the company's results as unacceptable and said the restructuring addresses challenges directly.
- •Campbell's has implemented average price increases of 4% to 5% across roughly 60% of its portfolio, with benefits expected to begin in the second quarter.
- •Fourth-quarter net sales fell 8% to $2.14 billion, and the company guided fiscal 2027 net sales down 2% to 4% with adjusted EPS of $1.65 to $1.80, below analyst estimates.

Campbell's said it has cut 13% of its salaried workforce and closed two snack plants as part of an effort to improve its operations and return to profitability.
"Make no mistake, our results remain unacceptable," CEO Mick Beekhuizen said. "But instead of waiting for the environment to improve around us, we are addressing reality head-on."
Beekhuizen took over as chief executive earlier in 2025, succeeding Mark Clouse, and the restructuring marks one of his most aggressive moves yet to reset the company's cost structure.
The company has 4,300 salaried workers, according to The Wall Street Journal. It had approximately 13,700 full-time and part-time employees as of August 2025, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Consumer goods companies have increasingly faced resistance from budget-conscious shoppers, particularly lower-income households that have gravitated toward cheaper, private-label and value brands. The dynamic has weighed especially on packaged food makers, several of which have responded with their own cost-cutting and portfolio reshaping programs.
Despite this, Campbell's has raised prices in recent years to protect its margins against rising costs of raw materials and logistics, as well as investments behind soup and sauce launches and holiday merchandising programs.
The company has implemented average price increases of 4% to 5% across roughly 60% of its portfolio, with benefits expected to begin flowing through in the second quarter, even as sales take a hit, CFO Todd Cunfer said on a call with analysts.
The plant closures target the snacks business, a segment Campbell's built up through its roughly $6 billion acquisition of Snyder's-Lance in 2018, which made brands like Snyder's of Hanover and Lance part of a portfolio anchored by soups and sauces.
Campbell's said it plans to generate about $500 million in cost savings by fiscal 2030.
"With this program, we are focused on increasing speed and accountability and improving our margins and cash flow," Beekhuizen said.
Campbell's expects fiscal 2027 net sales to decline 2% to 4%, compared with analysts' expectations for a 0.8% drop, according to data compiled by LSEG. It forecast adjusted earnings per share of $1.65 to $1.80, below estimates of $1.86.
Net sales fell 8% to $2.14 billion in the fourth quarter, slightly missing estimates of $2.15 billion, while adjusted earnings per share of 39 cents were in line with expectations.
Volumes in the company's snacks segment fell 6%, while prices rose 1%. For its meals and beverages segment, where prices remained the same, volumes rose 3%.
"Our priorities are clear: return Campbell's to a sustainable, long-term value creation model, reduce financial risk and maintain our investment-grade credit rating," Beekhuizen added.
Reuters contributed to this report.