Reckitt faces takeover bid

Household goods giant Reckitt & Colman is understood to be the target of a hostile takeover bid with Anglo-Dutch conglomerate Uni-lever emerging as a possible white knight.

By Marketing Week 7 Jun 1996 12:00 am

Household goods giant Reckitt & Colman is understood to be the target of a hostile takeover bid with Anglo-Dutch conglomerate Uni-lever emerging as a possible white knight.

Unilever bought the Colman’s food business from Reckitt last year. Since then the company has embarked on a global cost-cutting drive, restructuring its operations and appointing McCann-Erickson Worldwide as its global advertising agency in January.

A City source says that talks have taken place between the two following rumours that a mystery company is planning an audacious bid to buy and break up the household goods and pharmaceuticals business. Reckitts’ over-the-counter (otc) drugs business includes Lemsip and Gaviscon.

How humour helped Nationwide position itself as the ‘antithesis’ of other banks

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