Are you defending the journalist here or at least "praising him with faint criticism?" I would say that the commas are almost totally random here, and could in no way be construed as enhancing clarity.
Regards,
“Nestle and its Crunch Bar, thought the word “Crunch” in the snack’s name, would cause confusion.”
Even without the unnecessary commas, the writing is horrible. A crunch bar has the ability to think.
“Last May, Robinson decided to shut down due to COVID, but a few months later, she got some more good news.”
That sentence is also horrific.