September 30, 2021

Investment Builds on PepsiCo’s Racial Equity Journey Commitment by Expanding Product Availability and Investing in Local Businesses to Better Serve Hispanic Consumers

Frito-Lay today announced a multi-million investment to expand U.S. distribution of the Gamesa brand – the largest manufacturer of cookies in Mexico which celebrates 100 years this month – and increase access to Sabritas and Natuchips products to better provide Hispanic consumers with products and brands they love. 

The investment includes launching 30 new Gamesa sales routes that will serve approximately 5,800 retail stores in Texas, installing 5,500 new in-store merchandising units and better equipping sales teams to distribute consumers’ favorite products. Frito-Lay is also expanding the direct distribution of Sabritas snacks to nearly all U.S. markets and introducing more Hispanic and non-Hispanic consumers to Natuchips brand plantain chips, originally from Latin America, which launched in New York City and across the Southeastern U.S. in July 2021.

“Hispanic Americans are extremely important to us and they have a strong influence on our growth as a company,” said Antonio Escalona, SVP/GM, Hispanic Business Unit, PepsiCo Foods North America. “In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, we are excited to bring the tastes of home – wherever that is – to more consumers by ensuring their favorite snacks are available when and where they want.”

Frito-Lay has long recognized the company thrives when it reflects the communities it serves, and that its size and scale endow it with the ability, and responsibility, to help build a more equitable, more inclusive world. The company established a dedicated Hispanic Business Unit in 2020 to refocus its approach to serving Hispanic consumers. Through this unit, the company is unleashing the power of its Hispanic brand portfolio, leveraging the popularity and quality of its products, including Sabritas, Gamesa and Natuchips, to drive business growth within both Hispanic and non-Hispanic consumer audiences. The Sabritas portfolio includes a variety of products inspired by the authentic flavors of Latin America, such as Lay’s Limon, Doritos Dinamita, Ruffles Queso, and Turbos Flamas. Gamesa offers a full line-up of brands such as Marias Gamesa, Emperador, Mamut, and Arcoiris.

PepsiCo and Frito-Lay have long-standing relationships with Hispanic-owned food and beverage small businesses. Building on this commitment, PepsiCo recently launched Juntos Crecemos, a $50 million platform aimed at strengthening U.S. Hispanic-owned businesses, including restaurants, bodegas and carnicerías. Frito-Lay is contributing $20 million of this investment. Over the next five years, Juntos Crecemos will provide access to grants, leadership training, networking and mentoring, developing business growth opportunities, and raising visibility for Hispanic small businesses.

Frito-Lay is also working hard to ensure its workforce reflects the Hispanic communities it serves by building a more diverse and inclusive workplace. Alongside PepsiCo, it continues to boost investments in Hispanic talent, including increasing managerial representation to 10 percent of the workforce by 2025 and providing educational support through coaching and professional skills development. Additionally, reflecting the local community, currently 100 percent of its new Texas-based Gamesa route sales team leaders and 80 percent of team members are Hispanic employees.

About Frito-Lay North America
Frito-Lay North America is the $18 billion convenient foods division of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ: PEP), which is headquartered in Purchase, N.Y. Frito-Lay snacks include Lay’s and Ruffles potato chips, Doritos tortilla chips, Cheetos snacks, Tostitos tortilla chips and branded dips, SunChips multigrain snacks and Fritos corn chips. The company operates 30+ manufacturing facilities across the U.S. and Canada, more than 200 distribution centers and services 315,000 retail customers per week through its direct-store-delivery model. Learn more about Frito-Lay at the corporate website, http:www.fritolay.com/ , on Twitter fritolay, on Instagram @fritolay and on Facebook Frito-Lay.