GENERAL MILLS INC

Overview

General Mills is a global food company that manufactures and markets branded consumer foods and pet food. Its products include breakfast cereals, snacks, baking products, convenient meals and pet food, with brands such as Cheerios, Nature Valley, Betty Crocker, Pillsbury and Blue Buffalo. The company describes its purpose as “making food the world loves.” [1]+7

General Mills operates through North America Retail, International, North America Pet and North America Foodservice segments. Its products are sold in approximately 130 countries worldwide. In fiscal 2025, it reported $19.49 billion in net sales and approximately 33,000 employees.[9]+7 [1]+15

Products & services

General Mills sells packaged foods across ready-to-eat cereal, snacks, convenient meals, refrigerated and frozen dough, baking mixes and ingredients, and pet food. Its product formats include nutrition bars, frozen pizza and snacks, soup, meal kits, frozen breakfast foods and entrées. Examples include Cheerios cereal, Nature Valley bars and granola, Betty Crocker baking products, Pillsbury dough products, Totino’s pizza products and Progresso soup.[17]+8

Its pet portfolio includes dry and wet dog and cat food and treats, including products sold under Blue Buffalo and Tiki Pets. For foodservice customers, General Mills supplies products such as cereal, snacks, frozen meals, frozen dough, baking mixes and bakery flour through distributors and operators serving foodservice, vending and supermarket bakeries.[26]+3

In fiscal 2025, snacks accounted for approximately 21.5% of net sales, cereal 15.8%, convenient meals 14.5%, pet products 13.3%, dough 12.2% and baking mixes and ingredients 10.0%; these shares are calculated from reported product-category sales. Yogurt contributed to fiscal 2025 sales, but General Mills subsequently completed the sale of its Canadian and U.S. yogurt businesses.[30]+8 [17]+21

Geographic presence

General Mills is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and reports net sales in both the United States and international markets. In fiscal 2025, U.S. net sales were $15.78 billion, or about 81% of the company total, while sales outside the U.S. were $3.71 billion, or about 19%. These figures are based on the geography of sales; the company’s International operating segment is a separate reporting category covering retail and foodservice businesses outside the U.S. and Canada.[39]+4

The company reported 42 food-production facilities: 28 in the U.S., three in Mexico and Latin America, five in Europe and Australia, four in Greater China, one in Canada, and one in Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Its approximately 33,000 employees were divided roughly evenly between the U.S. (17,000) and markets outside the U.S. (16,000).[44]+8 [39]+13

Business segments

General Mills reports four business segments. North America Retail sells cereal, soup, meal kits, dough, baking products, frozen pizza and snacks through retail channels in the United States and Canada; it accounts for approximately 57% of consolidated net sales. International serves retail and foodservice customers outside those countries, with products including ice cream, meal kits, snacks, baking mixes and pet food; it accounts for approximately 17%.[52]+2

North America Pet sells dog and cat food and treats, primarily in the United States and Canada, and contributes approximately 14% of consolidated net sales. North America Foodservice supplies products such as cereal, snacks, frozen meals, dough and flour to foodservice, vending and supermarket bakery customers in those countries; it contributes approximately 12%. The percentages are based on fiscal 2026 net sales and are rounded.[55]+2 [52]+4

Company history

General Mills traces its origins to a flour mill Cadwallader Washburn built in Minneapolis in 1866. The milling business grew into Washburn-Crosby Company, and General Mills, Inc. was incorporated in 1928. The company later expanded beyond flour into packaged foods, introducing CheeriOats—renamed Cheerios—in the 1940s.[57][58]

In May 1995, General Mills spun off its restaurant operations to shareholders, sharpening its focus on food products. It completed its acquisition of Pillsbury in October 2001 and acquired pet-food company Blue Buffalo in 2018, adding a new category to its business.[59]+2 [58]+4

Sources

• GENERAL MILLS INC — Full financial report (2025 Y)
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