Acquisition

Reckitt Benckiser PLC
12 March 2001

                            Reckitt Benckiser plc

                                PRESS RELEASE


                                                                 12 March 2001

                       Reckitt Benckiser Acquires Oxy,

                     A Leading Household Company in Korea



Reckitt Benckiser plc, the world's number one household cleaning company,
today announced the acquisition of Oxy Co Ltd, the fourth largest Korean
household company, for Won 162.5 billion (UK £87 million) in cash.

Oxy is a fast growing company with net sales of Won 125 billion (UK £67
million) in 1999. Over 50% of Oxy's sales are from brands with number one or
number two market positions. The Company's key categories are fabric care,
home care, surface care and de-humidifiers with leading brands such as Oxy
Clean (market leader in fabric treatment), Tinkerbell (Air Care), Cherie
(Fabric Softener) and Thirsty Hippo (market leading de-humidifier).

Oxy will provide Reckitt Benckiser with access to the growing market for
household and personal care products in Korea. The market of 47 million people
is estimated at Won 1,900 billion (UK £1bn) and has grown at an average of 9%
a year over the past five years. There is also the long-term possibility of
opening up a new market of 27 million people in North Korea. The Company is
based in Seoul, employs over 1,000 people, has a manufacturing facility at
Ik-san and maintains a distribution network involving 20 regional sales
offices and 139 sales agents.

Commenting on this acquisition, Bart Becht, Chief Executive Officer of Reckitt
Benckiser said; 'Oxy is a critical mass entry for Reckitt Benckiser into the
fast growing Korean market. Its profitable and growing portfolio is an
excellent strategic fit with our fabric and home care categories. Its leading
market positions can be further enhanced with Reckitt Benckiser's expert
category know-how and innovation pipeline. Oxy's up to date production and
distribution network provide a solid launch platform for Reckitt Benckiser's
global brands into this key Asian market. In summary, Oxy is a profitable
geographical fill-in acquisition with good growth potential which will further
strengthen our core categories and global reach.'

Exchange rate of Won 1,860 = £1.



For Further Information
Tom Corran                     Tel: [phone]

SVP, Investor Relations & Corporate Communications