JM Smucker discontinues Knott’s Berry Farm jam and cookie brand

Dive Brief:

• J.M. Smucker is no longer selling the century-old Knott’s Berry Farm brand known for its jams and cookies, the company said on the product’s website.
• A Smucker spokesperson said the decision to discontinue the brand was part of the company’s strategy “to continuously evaluate our portfolio and ensure we are dedicating resources to the areas with the greatest growth potential.”
• Knott’s Berry Farm traces its roots to a roadside berry stand in 1923. The retail brand was sold in 1995 to ConAgra, which divested it to Smucker 13 years later for an undisclosed amount. A separate California theme park is currently owned by entertainment venue operator Cedar Fair.

Dive Insight:

As food and beverage companies adjust their portfolios to stoke growth, they are constantly offloading or discontinuing smaller, noncore or underperforming brands while adding faster-growing ones. Few have been as active during the last year as Smucker.

The company sold Sahale Snacks, a maker of fruit and snack mixes, to Brownie Brittle owner Second Nature Brands; four condiment offerings to TreeHouse Foods and several pet food brands to Post Holdings. At the same time, it purchased Hostess Brands for about $5.6 billion to deepen its presence in growing categories and consumer occasions focused on convenience. 

A Smucker spokesman would not comment on the performance of the Knott’s Berry Farm brand. But the Ohio-based CPG manufacturer, which also makes Jif peanut butter, Uncrustables and Folgers coffee, has a dominant position in jams and jellies with its own namesake brand. Knott’s Berry Farm likely had minimal sales and was no longer a key holding for a company with much larger, well-known products.