Sept 18 (Reuters) - Cheerios maker General Mills ( GIS )

posted a smaller-than-expected drop in quarterly sales on

Wednesday, helped by benefits from its higher priced products

including snacks and pet foods, to combat a consumer demand

slowdown.

The company's quarterly sales fell 1% to $4.85 billion from

a year ago. Analysts, on average, expected a drop of 2.11% to

$4.80 billion, according to LSEG data.