Unilever sees Sara Lee bolstering skin cleansing range

Unilever chairman Dave Lewis explains that the acquisition of Sara Lee brands will give the consumer goods company a “significant strengthening” of its portfolio, especially in skin cleansing.

Unilever is to buy Sara Lee for £1.16 billion, subject to regulatory approval.

Lewis told Marketing Week that the addition of value and mid-priced brands such as Radox and Sanex will allow Unilever to “play across the full pricing piano in the UK market” and adds to “the value and mid tier” end of skin cleansing and deodorants.

“It makes us more competitive and so it strengthens and creates a significant skin cleansing business in the UK and Ireland.”

The addition of Sara Lee’s Brylcreem will bolster Unilever’s existing male grooming brand Lynx (Axe). Last week it was also reported that Unilever is trialling a male grooming range under its Dove banner in Italy.

Lewis says: “The opportunity for male grooming is one that we recognise and we have a variety of plans.² He adds that some of those plans involve existing Unilever brands.

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