NOS News•today, 09:54
Food manufacturer Unilever, known for brands such as Knorr, Dove and Rexona, sold more in the first three months of the year. Turnover amounted to 15 billion euros, an increase of 1.4 percent compared to last year. The company published its results this morning.
Last year, Unilever owed their increase in turnover mainly to the increased prices. There were no more sales per se at that time, but what was over the counter was sold at a higher price. Unilever thus passed on inflation to customers. Last year, prices rose by 10.7 percent during this period.
In the first three months of this year, Unilever prices rose much less rapidly, by 2.2 percent. The company also sold 2.2 percent more.
There are differences between the regions where the multinational is active. For example, the prices of Unilever products in Europe rose faster than elsewhere (5.5 percent) and fewer sales were made. Sales were also lower in Indonesia, because consumers there were boycotting Western multinationals because of the war in Gaza.
Ice
Last month, Unilever announced it would spin off its ice cream division, known for brands such as Ben & Jerry’s and Magnum, and cut 7,500 jobs. The company wants to focus more and become more productive to keep up with the competition.
If the ice cream division is floated on the stock exchange, the big question is whether it will be in the Netherlands. In 2020, Unilever wrote to the Ministers of Finance and Economic Affairs that the food branch, including ice cream, would be listed and headquartered in the Netherlands if that part became independent.
CEO Hein Schumacher called that promise into question last month. The comment made at the time was that the Netherlands must have an attractive business climate. According to Schumacher, the business climate has changed since 2020 and he now wants to keep all options open.
Even today, there is no clarity about this in the quarterly figures. The company does say that the spin-off should be completed by the end of 2025.
