SWOT Analysis of Nestle

SWOT Analysis of Nestle. Nestle is a food & drink Swiss multinational company. Its headquarters is situated in Vevey, Vaud, Switzerland. Henri Nestle laid the foundation of the company in 1866 as a milk company. 

According to an estimate, the annual sale of 29 products of Nestle is more than 1 billion US dollars. Some of the main products of Nestle are;

• Pet food,
• Baby food,
• Snacks,
• Medical food,
• Frozen food,
• Bottled water,
• Ice cream,
• Breakfast cereal,
• Dairy products,
• Coffee & team,
• Confectionary items.

The annual revenue of Nestle in 2022 was 94.4 billion CHF and it has increased by 8.4%. Out of which the net income of the company was 9.3 billion CHF. The brand was employing 276000 people by the end of 2022. Nowadays, Nestle is one of the largest food and drink companies in the world. According to the ranking by Fortune Global 500, the company ranked 64 positions out of 500 world’s leading companies.

Nestle is running 447 factories in more than 189 countries worldwide. The brand has also acquired many companies over the years like Gerber in 2007, Klim in 1998, Mackintosh in 1988, Libby’s in 1971, Findus in 1963, and Crosse & Blackwell in 1950. 

Some of the top competitors of Nestle are;

• Monster Beverage Corporations
• The Kellogg Company
• Kraft Food Group
• ConAgra Foods

In the swot analysis of Nestle, we’ll discuss various internal and external factors of the company that are impacting its growth. If you want to learn about the external factors, check out the pestle analysis of Nestle. Here it follows; 

Strengths of Nestle 

Famous Brand Name 

Nestle is one of the few brands that have positive publicity worldwide. It’s because the company is delivering quality products over the years across the world. That’s why Nestle is famous among the public.

Well Recognized Brand 

According to the ranking by Forbes Global 2000 in 2016, Nestle ranked at 33rd position among 2000 world’s leading companies. The company ranked 64th position in 2017 on the ranking of Fortune Global 500. It shows that the brand has strong brand recognition and awareness in the world’s market. 

Diversified Market 

Nestle is running business operations and delivering products in more than 190 countries across the world. The revenue stream of the company comes from the market of both developed and undeveloped countries. It includes countries like Brazil, France, China, the US, the UK, etc. According to an estimate, Nestle earned approximately CHF 26.7 billion in 2017 from the US market. 

High Valuable Brand 

Whether we talk about market share, net profit, annual revenue, company assets, brand worth, or market capital; according to a study conducted by Forbes Global in 2018, nestle falls under the category of the world’s top leading brands. 

Diverse Portfolio 

Nestle offers a variety of products to its customers and the company’s revenue stream comes from various sources like confectionary items, dairy products, water, and dishes. Diversification has made the revenue of the company less volatile and stable. 

For instance, people in the US used to drink more milk in the past approximately 50 years ago. It’s because people have become vegetarian and they prefer plant-based green food. However, it didn’t impact the revenue of the company much, because the milk-based product only comprises 15% of the total sales.  

Pro Relationships with other Brands 

Nestle has built strong professional relationships with other world’s leading brands like L’Oreal, Colgate, General Mills, Palmolive, and Coca-Cola. Many other companies are working under the umbrella of Nestle like Maggi, Nescafe, Milo, KitKat, and Gerber. 

Eco-Friendly & Sustainable 

Whether it’s the reduction of waste, usage of renewable sources of energy, organic packaging material, or using less water; Nestle has always preferred eco-friendly and sustainable ways to produce quality products. 

According to an estimate, 253 factories of Nestle were producing zero waste by the end of 2017. The brand is working consistently towards the cleanliness of the environment. 

Research & Development 

According to an estimate, Nestle has approximately more than 21 research and development centers across the world. The brand has employed over 500 in those facilities to perform research on food and nutrition. In 2017, Nestle spent approximately more than 1.72 billion Francs on research and development. 

Distribution Network 

Nestle has a very strong distribution network in different markets both rural and urban areas across the world. The company uses multiple approaches like decentralization and local distribution methods to reach customers living in far places. The company also maintains good relations with vendors, distributors, suppliers, and retailers to keep things going smoothly. 

Strong Marketing & Advertisement 

Nestle uses various marketing and advertisement campaigns to make customers remember the company’s products while shopping. 

Brand loyalty 

Nestle has one competitive edge in that people remember and recall the brand name. That’s why the customer retention ratio of the company is high. 

Merger & Acquisition 

Nestle has merged and acquired many companies over the years. It made the company stronger than ever. 

Weaknesses of Nestle 

Fluctuating Prices 

Kroger, Walmart, and Tesco are the major retail outlets of Nestle, and the company’s total sales are dependent on them. Whenever these retail outlets change the prices of the product, it impacts the overall sales of the company. 

Controlled Structure

Nestle follows the matrix structure. It means that all the acquired and merged brands work under the umbrella of the parent company. It increases the administration and becomes very difficult to manage and check the performance of multiple brands. When too many brands work under one roof, it creates a conflict of interest. 

Controversy of Water 

There are rumors and reports that Nestle has been pumping water illegally in different countries, where the rest of the people are facing drought. 

Criticism of Social Media

Issues with chocolate preparation is employing child and slave labor, privatization of water reservoirs and mislabeling have pushed away many people. That’s why many people are criticizing the brand on social media. Such controversies are very bad for the brand image of the company. 

The controversy of Maggi & Noodles 

Some of the products failed lab tests in India in 2017, and the test showed that products contained 1000 times more lead in them. It captured a lot of media attention and many people boycotted the brand. The company lost 80% of its market share as a result. 

Opportunities available to Nestle 

Small food startup venture 

There are many growing small food startups that Nestle can bring under its umbrella. It’ll be beneficial both for the company and the startups. They’ll get a big brand name and the company will increase its product portfolio. 

E-commerce & Online Shopping 

Growth in online retail shopping presents a great opportunity for Nestle. Although the company is online in some countries, they aren’t big compared to its competitors. If the brand creates a catchy and user-friendly interface, it will attract the attention of many customers. 

Breakfast Cereal 

Projects of Nestle like breakfast cereal and oats turned out to be a great success and they showed remarkable growth. If the brand could penetrate the cereal market, it would be very profitable for the company. 

Ready-to-Drink Tea & Coffee

The demand for tea and coffee has never declined in any market across. If Nestle could offer ready-to-drink tea and coffee, then it would be a huge success for the company. 

Partnerships and Alliances 

If Nestles could successfully make alliances with other world’s leading brands, it would help the brand to increase the market. 

Authenticity of Labels

Many people have criticized Nestle for presenting wrong/misleading information about its product. If the company starts providing the right information on its products, it would help the company regain the trust of the people. 

Threats Nestle has to face

Destruction of Rainforest

There were rumors and reports that Nestle showed involvement in the destruction of the rainforests like Sumatra. Many critics and environmentalists severely criticized this act of the company. 

Scarcity of Resources like Water

Many products of Nestle heavily rely on the usage of water. Issues like the growing population, increasing demand for food and water, exploitation of resources, and wastage of rainy water are making it difficult for the company to access clean water. 

Increasing Competition 

Competitors like Unilever, CPG, and Mondelez are growing and they’ve acquired more market share every year. Therefore, it’s becoming difficult for the brand to compete when competitors are delivering the same quality. 

Regulations of the Government/Prices 

Government policies and regulations play a very important role and they can impact badly various business operations of the company. 

Supplies and processing costs are increasing and it forces the company to increase the prices of its products. High rates would make it difficult for the company to compete in the market. 

Plastic Packaging 

Some countries have banned plastic packaging and some even banned the product in it. Therefore, Nestle must find a way to redesign the packaging of its products in an eco-friendly manner. 

Vegan Products in the Meat Market 

Nestle has recently launched plant-based products for the vegetarian market like almond milk, non-dairy ice cream, and soy. These products are selling well in the vegan market, but they have to face strong competition in the US meat and burger market. 

Conclusion: Nestle Swot Analysis Example Company

In light of the swot analysis of Nestle, we have realized that the company had faced some difficulties over the years in some markets. However, the overall position of the company is profitable and stable. The diverse market and portfolio help Nestle to reduce risk. Nestle should capitalize on the opportunities to expand its market share.