More than 400 brands and products

Axe, Ben & Jerry’s, Cif, Coral, Cornetto, Cremissimo, Domestos, Dove, Duschdas, Hellmann’s, Langnese, Lipton, Maizena, Pfanni, Rexona, Signal…

This is only a small extract from the list of more than 400 brands that form part of the Unilever Group, which has been entirely British since 2020. Other facts about the enterprise are just as impressive. The group is represented in more than 190 countries worldwide, with more than 25 million retailers stocking its products. More than 2.5 billion people used a Unilever product at least once a day during 2020, while the total revenue exceeded the EUR 51 billion mark. Consequently, Unilever is one of the world’s biggest companies in the consumer goods sector, together with Nestlé from Switzerland, Danone from France, and Mars from the USA. Therefore, it is well worth taking a closer look at the company’s history.

From margarine to much more

In 1888, the margarine manufacturer Simon van den Bergh, originally from the Netherlands, founded the company Margarinewerke Van den Bergh in Kleve in the Lower Rhine region for the industrial production of margarine. His compatriot Anton Jurgens also founded a factory to produce margarine not far from Kleve in the neighbouring town of Goch. In 1927, the two family businesses – Jurgens and Van den Bergh – merged to form Margarine Unie in Rotterdam and Margarine Union in London.

In 1885, William Lever and his brother James founded the Lever Brothers soap factory, which was first situated in North West England and later located west of Liverpool. Their product was innovative because they used palm oil instead of tallow for the soap production, and it proved very popular. The Lever brothers named their product Sunlight Soap; Sunlicht is also derived from this.

In 1929/1930, Margarine Unie and Lever Brothers Ltd. merged to form Unilever. This laid the foundations for a global player. Over the years, countless companies were acquired, for instance 1960 saw the acquisition of the Viennese dairy business Milcheisindustrie AG (MIAG) under the brand name of Eskimo. In the decades of expansion that followed, new acquisitions such as Calvin Klein, Bestfoods (Maizena and Knorr), Ben & Jerry’s, and Slim-Fast (sold again in 2014) were added to the list. The 2010s were characterised by a broad-based consolidation and the sale of various parts of the business. These included, among others, prominent segments such as spreads (Rama, Becel, Sanella), which were sold off to the financial investor KKR in 2017. The well-known frozen food brand Iglo went to the investment firm Permira in 2006.

After Unilever shares went public, they were dual-listed in London and Amsterdam. In October of 2020, Unilever’s shareholders approved the management board’s decision to give up the dual structure with bases in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands in favour of being headquartered solely in London. The merger of the Dutch Unilever N.V. with the British Unilever PLC was completed on 30 November 2020. Unilever has been a purely British enterprise ever since.

The path to sustainability

In 2010, Unilever launched its Unilever Sustainable Living Plan (USLP) – a comprehensive programme meant to cover all facets of sustainability at the company. By their own admission, Unilever learnt a lot along the way and did not always get things right the first time round. Unilever is certain, however, that the road it has embarked on is the correct one. The intention is to create a world, together with suppliers and consumers, that everyone dreams of. In doing so, the company supports the non-negotiable observance of human rights and uses the entire influence of its brands to effect positive change.

With regard to climate protection, a transition towards renewable energy is taking place in all areas of business, while simultaneously searching for low-carbon ingredients and materials to be able to offer plant-based alternatives such as vegan food as well as cleaning products free of fossil carbon. The aim is to achieve net zero emissions by 2039.

Supply chains are to be changed drastically. For instance, Unilever wants to put a stop to further deforestation by making the necessary adjustments in all its production processes in the coming year.

A core aspect of the USLP is the transition to a circular economy in a world free of waste; this means radically cutting down on plastics and packaging, food waste, and other waste from factories and company locations. In response to our question regarding programmes to reduce food waste, Unilever referred us to the Global Food Loss and Waste Standard, which the company implements fully. In addition, the company undertakes to reduce food waste by 50% by the year 2025, compared to the base year 2019. For example, the product “Cremissimo Schokoheld” uses 40% of an ice cream that would have been destroyed in the past.

The company is aware that the global nutrition system is out of step. Unilever wants to do its part to transform this system. The Future Foods initiative aims to support the transition towards healthy eating while reducing the ecological footprint at the same time.

Unilever in its own words

We will act to improve the health of our planet, to combat climate change, to protect nature and allow it to regenerate. And we will create a world free of waste. We will contribute towards a just, inclusive world. And we will concentrate on justice, diversity, and inclusion in everything we do. We will actively improve living conditions and prepare people for the future of work. At the same time, we will improve the health and well-being of all people. Our brands will be at the core of these efforts – as they always have been.

We know that we can have a great impact. But we also know that the biggest challenges require measures that surpass our capabilities and that no company can achieve on its own. Some of the greatest opportunities for positive change can be found in our value chain and in the communities to which we are connected. We must utilise the full size and reach of Unilever to influence the business practices and policies of the people we work with and the countries in which we are active. Because for all of us who want a more just and socially conscious world as well as a healthier planet, the message is clear: We have no time to lose. Let us act!

Well said; clear, ambitious goals. Raiffeisen Capital Management will continue to keep an eye on the company and accompany it on its way towards achieving its self-proclaimed goal of becoming the “most sustainable company in the world”.