UNILEVER FURTHER STRENGTHENS

RNS Number : 3373W

Unilever PLC

17 November 2010

 



UNILEVER FURTHER STRENGTHENS HOME & PERSONAL CARE BUSINESS

EU Competition Authorities approve Unilever's acquisition of Sara Lee Personal Care and European Laundry business

November 17^th, London - Unilever has today received clearance from the European Commission for its acquisition of the Personal Care and European Laundry business of the Sara Lee Corporation. Unilever will complete the transaction in 2010, significantly strengthening both regional and local positions in Personal Care by adding number one brands including Radox, Duschdas and Neutral.

The acquisition of these market winning brandscomplements Unilever's existing category leading portfolio of brands such as Axe, Dove and Rexona. With this extended range, the business can cover a wider spectrum of price points and better meet the demands of more consumers in more markets. As a result, Unilever expects to be able to stimulate further growth in an intensely competitive market.

Approval of the transaction follows the satisfactory completion of a detailed review by the European Commission.  This approval is contingent upon Unilever undertaking to divest the Sanex brand in the European Economic Area.

Doug Baillie, President of Western Europe said: "We are pleased to have received the green light from the European Commission for this deal and we look forward to adding these important brands to our business. Home and Personal Care is a key growth category and we are acquiring a number of leading brands that fill gaps in our portfolio, improve the shape of our overall European portfolio, while offering significant potential for development in other geographies."

In addition to Radox, Duschdas and Neutral, the deal includes local category leaders such as Biotex in Laundry, Zwitsal and Fissan in Baby Care and Prodent and Zendium in Oral Care. Together these brands will enhance Unilever's category mix and deliver breadth and depth to its already very successful portfolio.

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About the acquisition

Unilever will be paying €1.2 billion in cash for the Sara Lee Personal Care and European Laundry business. The Sara Lee brands which will be acquired generated annual sales in excess of €750 million for the year ending June 2009.

About Unilever

Unilever works to create a better future every day.  We help people feel good, look good and get more out of life with brands and services that are good for them and good for others.

Unilever is one of the world's leading suppliers of fast moving consumer goods. It operates in over 170 countries and has leading positions in many of the emerging markets. Unilever products are present in more than half the households on the planet and are used over two billion times a day.

Our portfolio includes some of the world's best known and most loved brands including eleven €1 billion brands, and global leadership in many categories in which we operate.  The portfolio features iconic brands such as: Knorr, Dove, Hellmann's, Sure, Lipton, Pond's, Wall's, Persil, Flora, Cif and Signal.

We have around 163,000 employees in approaching 100 countries, and generated annual sales of €40 billion in 2009.  For more information about Unilever and its brands, please visit www.unilever.com.

For media enquiries, contact:

Trevor Gorin	Paul Matthews
Global Media Relations Director	Corporate Media Relations Manager
0207 822 6010 / 07711 020 438	01372 945 925 / 0775 276 8888
[e-mail]	[e-mail]

 

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