The company logo for Kenvue Inc. Johnson & Johnson's consumer-health business, is displayed on during the company's IPO at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., May 4, 2023. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

By Juveria Tabassum

(Reuters) -Kimberly-Clark said on Monday it will buy Tylenol maker Kenvue in a cash-and-stock deal valued at about $48.7 billion, to create one of the biggest consumer health goods companies in the United States.

Deal-making in the consumer goods industry including food, beverage, personal care, pet products and health, has been robust, with companies seeking consolidation to weather inflationary pressures, shifting consumer preferences, and intensifying competition.

Here's a list of the biggest M&As in the industry over the past few decades:

Date Merger

Dec. Britain's Cadbury Schweppes Plc agreed to buy U.S.

17, sweet maker Adams, owner of Trident and Dentyne

2002 chewing gums and Halls cough drops, for $4.2 billion

from drugmaker Pfizer, making it the world's largest

confectionery group.

Nov. Kraft Foods completes its acquisition of France-based

30, Group Danone's global biscuit business for 5.3 billion

2007 euros ($7.2 billion), including the LU family of

brands, expanding the largest North American food

maker's foothold in Europe and emerging markets.

April Mars created the world's largest confectionary company

29, with its $23 billion acquisition of chewing gum

2008 manufacturer Wm Wrigley Jr Co. Combined, the two

companies held 14.4% of the global confectionary

market in 2006.

Jan. Nestle bought Kraft Foods' North American frozen pizza

5, business for $3.7 billion and ruled out an offer for

2010 Cadbury.

Jan. Kraft Foods bought British candy maker Cadbury for

19, about $19.6 billion, creating the world's biggest

2010 confectioner, marking the largest European food and

beverage deal on record, according to Thomson Reuters

data.

Aug. Kraft Foods said it would spin-off its grocery

4, business to focus on its snacks unit, which was seeing

2011 strong growth in emerging markets.

April Nestle bought U.S. drugmaker Pfizer's infant nutrition

23, business for $11.85 billion, beating out French rival

2012 Danone as both sought to gain a strong foothold in the

baby food market.

Oct. Kraft Foods completes the split of its business,

1, creating two separate companies. Mondelez

2012 International, a global snacks company, and Kraft

Foods Group, which would be the North American grocery

products firm.

July H.J. Heinz Co, backed by Warren Buffett's Berkshire

2, Hathaway Inc, completed its purchase of Kraft Foods

2015 Group Inc in a $46 billion deal, creating the

third-largest food and beverage company in North

America and fifth largest worldwide.

The new company, Kraft Heinz, was expected to have

about $28 billion of annual revenue from brands such

as Oscar Mayer, Jell-O and Heinz ketchup.

Aug. Mondelez International abandoned its pursuit to

29, acquire Reese's Peanut Butter Cups maker Hersheys

2016 after the company turned down its $23 billion

cash-and-stock offer. The deal would have created the

world's largest confectioner at the time, overtaking

Mars.

Jan. Swiss food group Nestle, also the world's biggest

18, packaged-food company, agreed to sell its U.S.

2018 confectionery business to Italy's Ferrero, maker of

Nutella spread and Ferrero Rocher, for $2.8 billion.

Jan. Keurig Green Mountain struck a deal worth more than

29, $21 billion to combine with soda maker Dr Pepper

2018 Snapple Group Inc to form a North American drinks

company, Keurig Dr Pepper

Feb. Cheerios cereal maker General Mills bought Blue

23, Buffalo Pet Products Inc for nearly $8 billion,

2018 foraying into a fast-growing pet food market to

counter declining sales of processed foods, as

consumers turned more health conscious.

Dec. Nestle SA agreed to sell its U.S. ice cream business

11, to Froneri in a deal valued at $4 billion, moving

2019 control of brands including Häagen-Dazs to a joint

venture the Swiss group set up in 2016.

June Cadbury parent Mondelez International bought energy

21, bar maker Clif Bar & Company for $2.9 billion, as the

2022 company continued to consolidate its global presence.

April Mondelez International broadened its presence in

25, Mexico with a $1.3 billion purchase of breadmaker

2022 Grupo Bimbo's confectionery business, Ricolino.

Dec. Mondelez sold its gum business, which housed brands

19, such as Trident and Dentyne, in developed markets to

2022 European gum and confectionery maker and Mentos parent

Perfetti Van Melle Group for $1.35 billion

March U.S. packaged food maker Campbell Soup completes the

12, acquisition of Rao's Homemade-owner Sovos Brands in a

2024 $2.33-billion deal.

Aug. Snickers-maker Mars buys Pringles owner Kellanova in a

14, nearly $36 billion deal.

2024

Sept. Cheerios maker General Mills sold North America yogurt

12, business to French dairy firms Groupe Lactalis and

2024 Sodiaal in a $2.1 billion deal.

Oct. PepsiCo bought Siete Foods parent Garza Food Ventures

1, for $1.2 billion, beefing up the Frito-Lay owner's

2024 snacking portfolio amid a shift to private-label

brands among cost-conscious consumers.

Dec. General Mills bought Whitebridge Pet Brands' North

21, American premium cat feeding and pet treating

2024 business, which includes Tiki Pets and Cloud Star

brands, for $1.45 billion.

July WK Kellogg agreed to be bought by the owner of Ferrero

10, Rocher in a deal worth around $3.1 billion, as the

2025 cereal maker struggled with weakening consumer demand.

Aug. Keurig Dr Pepper said it will buy Dutch coffee company

25, JDE Peet's for $18.4 billion in cash, and the combined

2025 firm will split its beverages and coffee units as it

looks for a firmer stronghold over the global coffee

and North America refreshment beverages markets.

Nov. Kimberly-Clark said it will buy Tylenol maker Kenvue

3, in a cash-and-stock deal valued at about $48.7

2025 billion, to create one of the biggest consumer health

goods companies in the United States.

Source: Company releases, Reuters articles

(Reporting by Juveria Tabassum, Anshi Sancheti, Sahil Pandey and Puyaan Singh; Editing by Sahal Muhammed and Maju Samuel)