THE WHAT? Unilever is set to become a pureplay Home, Personal Care (HPC) business following the separation of its Foods division.
THE DETAILS Post-separation, Beauty, Wellbeing and Personal Care are expected to account for around 67% of total revenue, up from 51%, with approximately 90% of the portfolio holding #1 or #2 market positions. The company will increase its exposure to high-growth markets, with the US and India contributing 38% of turnover and emerging markets rising to 62%. The portfolio will skew more premium and digitally driven, supported by a unified demand creation model, scaled R&D capabilities across areas such as microbiome and formulation science, and an integrated global value chain. Unilever is targeting mid-single-digit sales growth, supported by continued investment (around 23% of revenue) and €6 billion in share buybacks between 2026 and 2029, while managing €400–500 million in stranded costs linked to the separation.
THE WHY? The shift is designed to streamline Unilever’s portfolio around faster-growing, higher-margin categories, enabling greater focus, stronger innovation capabilities and improved returns in areas benefiting from premiumisation, digital commerce and evolving consumer demand.
Source: Unilever
