According to a story in today's Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal (it's also been picked up by the AP), General Mills is prepared to fight hard over their right to license the Yoplait yogurt brand that its had the rights to since 1977.A French company named Sodima, that actually owns and produces Yoplait, is attempting to use what they believe is an "out-clause" in their contract with General Mills and terminate their relationship, effectively ending the Minneapolis-based food giant's ability to market and sell the popular yogurt.
While General Mills will apparently petition with the SEC to hold up the requested divorce, I think it's fair to expect a much lower profile for Yoplait on supermarket shelves in the coming weeks as conglomerates like General Mills have strong ties and agreements with food retailers that allow their brands to be presented more prominently. Without any stake in Yoplait's future "Point of Purchase" sales, General Mills will more than likely allow the yogurt to be moved out of prime eye-lines on shelves throughout the country (if Sodima even finds a way to distribute it all).
It's more than conceivable that devotees of "French Yogurt" will have to look harder for their fix.
Let's just hope the Greeks don't get as combative as the French and pull Fage Yogurt from the coolers as well...
International intrigue indeed.
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