Unilever - statistics & facts
A merger between a margarine producer and a soap maker led to an unforeseeable success, that of Unilever, a multinational consumer goods company that produces food, beverages, cleaning agents, and personal care products. Since its beginnings in 1929, the company has expanded to become a leader in the FMCG consumer goods industry, boasting around 400 brands. Some of its most prominent brands are Lifebuoy, Dove, Axe, and Sunsilk.
Until recently, the company’s headquarters were divided between Rotterdam and London but, in 2020, Unilever became a fully British company. Four years later, the Unilever Group was listed as the sixth largest FMCG company worldwide in terms of sales.
However, recently, a few controversies surrounding the ice cream division have begun to surface, whereas the company's personal care and beauty segments keep on growing and recording notable figures, it is likely that the multinational will start focusing even more on these sectors.
Unilever’s personal care segment
The largest product segment of the Unilever Group is personal care, followed by nutrition, and beauty & well-being. In 2024, personal care generated approximately 13.6 billion euros in revenues. That year, the group as a whole reported a revenue of about 60.8 billion euros. Although Unilever is based in the United Kingdom, the vast majority of its revenue is generated from the rest of the world, especially the United States. Being a major player in numerous FMCG markets worldwide, some of Unilever’s personal care brands, such as Dove, are among the most valuable worldwide. Dove was also the leading deodorant brand in the United States as of 2024.America's favorite ice cream brand
Not only personal care: the Unilever Group is also a leader in the food and beverages market, with Knorr and Lipton being some its most renowned food and beverage brands. Moreover, the company dominates the frozen dessert industry. Its ice cream brand, Ben & Jerry’s, generated unit sales of around 176 million in the United States alone, thus becoming the top-ranked ice cream brand among U.S. consumers in 2023.However, recently, a few controversies surrounding the ice cream division have begun to surface, whereas the company's personal care and beauty segments keep on growing and recording notable figures, it is likely that the multinational will start focusing even more on these sectors.
