Pursuits
General Mills Bets on Pumpkin Spice Cheerios to Boost Brand
- ‘We just have to keep it relevant,’ cereal executive says
- Gluten-free Cheerios also have helped reverse declining sales
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General Mills Inc., looking to reinvigorate its flagship Cheerios brand after years of sluggish sales, is taking inspiration from Starbucks Corp.
The company is introducing a pumpkin spice version of the cereal later this year, tapping a flavor that gained cult status at coffee houses before appearing in everything from vodka to Jell-O. It’s a rare foray into limited-time flavors for Cheerios, a brand that has suffered from an industrywide U.S. cereal slump.