Black Friday Sale! 50% Off All Access

Report: Hundreds of Layoffs Set to Hit PepsiCo A new report by the Wall Street Journal alleges that the cuts will primarily hit the beverage division.

By Emily Rella

Entrepreneur+ Black Friday Sale

Our biggest sale — Get unlimited access to Entrepreneur.com at an unbeatable price. Use code SAVE50 at checkout.*

Claim Offer

*Offer only available to new subscribers

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Pepsi is set to be the latest company inciting a round of massive layoffs, according to a new report by the Wall Street Journal.

The company (which oversees soft drinks like Gatorade and Pepsi as well as popular snack brands like Lays and Doritos) reportedly will target hundreds of employees in the beverage division in three major markets — Purchase, New York; Plano Texas and Chicago, Illinois.

The WSJ said that the layoffs were meant to help "simplify the organization" so that it could "operate more efficiently," per an internal memo seen by the outlet.

As the end of the fiscal year looms, PepsiCo is coming off of a somewhat strong Q3 2022, with an 8.8% quarterly net revenue growth and a 7.7% net revenue growth year to date.

The company's most recent earnings report even upped the expected delivery of organic revenue growth to reach the 12% mark year over year whereas it was previously expected to be only 10%.

As per a filing in August 2022, PepsiCo reported that it had a total of 299,297 permanent employees by the end of 2021 in addition to 11,103 temporary employees bringing the total number of employees heading into 2022 to 310,400.

It was not specified exactly how many employees or teams would be affected other than the vague usage of the word "hundreds."

The company recently made headlines after running a holiday campaign with contentious actress Lindsay Lohan that showed the star indulging in a drink called "Pilk," a combination of milk mixed with Pepsi.

"Combining Pepsi and milk has long been a secret hack among Pepsi fans," Pepsi's Chief Marketing Officer Todd Kaplan said in a company release regarding the new campaign. "Now with the rise of the 'dirty soda' trend on TikTok and throughout the country, we thought Pilk and Cookies would be a great way to unapologetically celebrate the holidays with a new and delicious way to enjoy Pepsi this season."

PepsiCo was up over 9% in a one-year period as of late Tuesday afternoon, even as layoffs loom.

Emily Rella

Senior News Writer

Emily Rella is a Senior News Writer at Entrepreneur.com. Previously, she was an editor at Verizon Media. Her coverage spans features, business, lifestyle, tech, entertainment, and lifestyle. She is a 2015 graduate of Boston College and a Ridgefield, CT native. Find her on Twitter at @EmilyKRella.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Business News

DOGE Leaders Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy Say Mandating In-Person Work Would Make 'a Wave' of Federal Employees Quit

The two published an op-ed outlining their goals for their new department, including workforce reductions.

Business News

The Two Richest People in the World Are Fighting on Social Media Again

Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk had a new, contentious exchange on X.

Business News

Here's How Much Money You Need to Make in Order to Be 'Successful,' According to Each Generation

A new survey by Empower outlines how Americans of different ages define success.

Real Estate

Why Real Estate Professionals Should Prioritize Social Responsibility

Integrating social responsibility into real estate can foster community change, build trust and drive long-term business success.

Starting a Business

Why Are So Many Course Creators Struggling if It's 'Such an Easy Business'? Here's the Truth Behind the $800 Billion Industry

Creating an online course is so easy — at least, that's what many "gurus" would like you to believe. There's a lot of potential in the $800 billion industry, but here's why so many course creators are struggling.

Franchise

McDonald's $5 Meal Deal Will Stay — And a New 'McValue Menu' Is on the Way in 2025

The McValue Menu is slated for a January 2025 debut and will feature a selection of budget-friendly items, allowing customers to customize meals at a lower cost.