Unilever has Tuesday announced the sale of its Suave brand in North America to Yellow Wood Partners for an undisclosed sum.
The Suave beauty and personal care brand includes hair care, skin care, skin cleansing and deodorant products.
“This is another step on our path to shift our portfolio towards strategic growth spaces,” commented Esi Eggleston Bracey, president of Unilever USA and chief executive of Unilever Personal Care North America.
“Suave has been a much-loved brand since the 1930s, and I am confident it will continue to thrive and serve consumers under its new ownership in North America.”
Dana Schmaltz, partner of Yellow Wood Partners, said: “Suave is ubiquitously recognised for its long history of providing accessible high-quality beauty products to American consumers and we are excited to add it to our portfolio of investments. We especially want to thank Unilever for its collaboration as we move forward to completing this carveout.”
Suave will continue to be owned and operated by Unilever outside of the US and Canada.
Danish brewer Carlsberg said Thursday that it returned to profit in 2024 thanks in part to completing the sale of its Russian subsidiary.
Like many Western companies Carlsberg sought to pull out of Russia after it invaded Ukraine in February 2022, but it was only in December 2024 that it was able to complete a sale of the Baltika brewery.
The amount of the transaction was not disclosed in December, but the company's annual statement indicated that Carlsberg received 2.3 billion kroner (£258 million) for Russia's largest brewer.
Carlsberg, the world's fourth-largest beer group, posted a net profit of 9.1 billion kroner for 2024, after having posted a loss of 40.8 billion kroner in 2023, due in large part to Moscow having seized Baltika.
Sales rose by two percent to 75 billion kroner, just surpassing the analyst forecast of 74.98 billion kronor established by Bloomberg.
Sales volume remained stable at 101 million hectolitres.
Carlsberg is targeting an increase of one to five percent in operating profit.
“Given the challenging environment in some of our major markets, which impacted the volume development, we’re satisfied with our solid 2024 results,” Jacob Aarup-Andersen, chief executive, said.
“The commitment and passion of our people and the resilience of our business enabled us to deliver top-line growth, increase commercial investments and achieve organic operating profit growth at the high end of our guidance, which we upgraded in August.”
2024 has been a year of major events for Carlsberg, with the acquisition of Britvic, the buyout of its partner in India and Nepal and the expanded partnership with PepsiCo in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.
Tariffs imposed by China and the United States could deal an estimated €200 million (£167m) blow to Pernod Ricard's business annually, finance chief Helene de Tissot said on Thursday.
China has already imposed temporary tariffs on European brandy imports, hurting Pernod's sales of its Martell cognac brand. The impact of tariffs, which could become permanent, forced Pernod to cut its outlook for 2025 and beyond on Thursday.
The world's second-largest spirits maker now anticipates a low single-digit decline in organic net sales.
US president Donald Trump has also threatened 25 per cent tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada, as well as impose levies on the European Union, which would affect a range of Pernod products from Jameson Irish whiskey to Codigo 1530 tequila.
Altogether, assuming a 10 per cent US tariff on the EU, that could have an annual impact of €200m on Pernod, de Tissot told analysts on Thursday's results call, adding around €130-140m of that was related to Chinese cognac duties.
About 50 per cent of the total could be offset via mitigation measures, de Tissot continued, some of which have already been implemented in China.
Earlier this week Diageo, the world's top spirits maker, estimated an around $200m (£161m) blow from US tariffs for the last four months of its current financial year.
Pernod reported a 4 per cent organic sales decline in the first half of fiscal year 2025, with reported sales down 6 per cent to €6.17bn. While seeing sequential improvement in the second quarter and strong performances in some mature and emerging markets, the company cited a declining but improving US market and a continuing weak performance in China as key factors affecting results. Volume was up, but price/mix was down 6 per cent largely due to market mix, the company said.
Despite the sales decline, Pernod managed to expand its organic operating margin by 65 basis points in the first half, reaching 32.1 per cent.
Looking ahead, Pernod anticipates fiscal year 2026 will be a transition year with improving trends in organic net sales, conditional on the challenges posed by the global tariff environment. The company aims to defend its organic operating margin during this period and improve cash conversion. From fiscal year 2027 to 2029, Pernod projects stronger organic net sales growth, targeting an average range of 3 to 6 per cent, alongside organic operating margin expansion.
The company reiterated its commitment to maintaining consistent brand investment, targeting approximately 16 per cent of net sales for advertising and promotion, while remaining agile and responsive to market opportunities.
Pernod also plans to continue its efficiency initiatives, targeting approximately €1bn in savings from fiscal year 2026 to 2029.
Keep ReadingShow less
Shoplifter banned from Blackburn town centre, One stop stores
A prolific shoplifter has been banned from Blackburn town centre and One Stop Stores in Lancashire.
Benjamin Wareing, 29, of Lockside was handed a two-year Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) over shoplifting offences.
As informed by Lancashire Constabulary, Wareing was issued the CBO at Preston Magistrates Court on Saturday (1) with a number of conditions.
He is not to enter or attempt to enter Blackburn town centre unless to attend a pre-booked appointment. He is also not allowed to enter any One Stop convenience store in Blackburn.
Operation Vulture is Lancashire Constabulary’s response to shoplifting across the county, backed by Lancashire's Police and Crime Commissioner Clive Grunshaw.
The operation sees dedicated officers undertaking hotspot patrolling, increasing their visibility in targeted areas and creating strong partnerships with retailers across the county to better share intelligence, get a deeper understanding of retail crime and identify more offenders.
Lancashire Police and Crime Commissioner Clive Grunshaw said, "As Lancashire's Police and Crime Commissioner, I will continue to work alongside the Chief Constable to establish a more proactive approach to shoplifting, with better protection for shop workers and improved relationships between retailers and the police.
"The public need to know that in the event of a crime such as shoplifting, the police will come, and the crime will be punished accordingly.”
Sugro UK, the member-owned buying and marketing group, announced the expansion of its membership with the addition of Manchester-based wholesaler Eurotrade Limited as a new Member to the group.
Established in 1983, family-run business Eurotrade originated from modest roots, operating from a small shop in Manchester which sold novelty items to retailers, cash and carries, and smaller wholesalers.
In 2010, Eurotrade expanded their operations by relocating to a 30,000 sq. ft. warehouse and broadening their product offering to include a variety of food and beverage lines.
Today, Eurotrade offers wholesale delivery services across a diverse range of products including confectionery, soft drinks, household goods and toiletries, and select ambient grocery items.
Pritesh Mehta, Director of Eurotrade Ltd, said, “At Eurotrade, we are thrilled to become part of the Sugro Family. This partnership will allow us to expand our product portfolio and offer an even wider range to our customers.
"We look forward to building a strong relationship with the Sugro team and leveraging their resources to further grow our business and better serve our customers.”
Sugro’s Business Development Manager, Shruti Senapati, added, “We are excited to welcome Eurotrade to our expanding Sugro family.
"We look forward to helping drive their growth and creating new opportunities by leveraging the Group’s buying power, promotions, digital initiatives, and robust supplier network to deliver mutual benefits.”
Two local business owners and entrepreneurs have acquired the historic Jennings Brewery, located in Cockermouth, Cumbria, from Carlsberg Britvic for an undisclosed sum.
Kurt Canfield, CEO of specialist engineering business Delkia, and Rebecca Canfield, proprietor of wine and spirits company Wine and the Wood, took ownership of the brewery site with intention to resume brewing Jennings beer in Cockermouth, following the brewery’s closure in 2022.
The deal also involves the transfer of rights to the Jennings brand, including all trademarks, intellectual property and recipes. Bottled beer under the Jennings brand will continue to be sold by Carlsberg Britvic until March this year, following which beer production will transfer to the new company – Jennings Brewery Ltd.
“As lifelong residents of West Cumbria, we have cherished Jennings Brewery and its beer for many years. Preserving the heritage of the brewery and the Maltings building, which are integral to our community, is of utmost importance to us. We are delighted to bring Jennings back to the local area and to have it once again run by a family-owned business,” Rebecca Canfield said.
“The brewery has almost 200 years of brewing history and one element that really attracted us to the project was the fact that it has its very own well. This is what makes it so beautiful and unique – an authentic Jennings beer can only be brewed with local water!”
Kurt Canfield, who will continue as CEO of Delkia, added: “This project is a remarkable and ambitious endeavour, which we are taking on to benefit the entire community. The Maltings building is an historic landmark, and we have extensive plans to enhance the site while respecting its heritage. However, critical repairs are necessary and will take time before we can get back to brewing the great beer that Jennings in known for.”
David Bodily, head of properties and facilities at Carlsberg Britvic, said: “We're pleased to have completed the sale of Jennings Brewery to new, local owners who are looking to preserve the site's brewing heritage. The brewery is a unique location in Cockermouth, and we wish Kurt and Rebecca every success for the future."
The project is expected to create several new jobs in the area, including the appointment of a Head Brewer, a brewing team, and a local sales and marketing force. Some appointments have already been made for the new business, with Chris France, founder of speciality beer retailer Beer Hawk joining as managing director.
France, who also grew up in The Lake District said: “Jennings was hugely influential as I developed my love for this industry, and the idea of bringing a great beer back to the heart of this town is an exciting prospect. There’s a rich brewing history here and we’d love to hear from anyone in the community who wants to join the team or be part of bringing it back.”