Unilever to divest Zwitsal to Royal Sanders
This move reinforces the consumer goods giant’s strategy of concentrating its portfolio on its largest international brands and priority categories.
NETHERLANDS – Unilever is set to divest its baby care brand Zwitsal after receiving a binding offer from Dutch personal care manufacturer Royal Sanders.
The transaction will carve out Zwitsal’s business, which operates in the Netherlands, Belgium, Suriname and the Dutch Caribbean and is centered on baby and family care products, from Unilever’s wider organization.
Royal Sanders, which specializes in personal care manufacturing, private‑label production and branded products, already owns a portfolio that includes Odorex, Melkmeisje, Sanicur, Van Gils, Fresh Up and ProSet.
The deal is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2027, with financial terms undisclosed, and global law firm Baker McKenzie advised Unilever on the transaction.
The divestment reflects Unilever’s view that, although Zwitsal is one of the Netherlands’ most recognizable baby care brands, its strength is concentrated primarily in the Netherlands and Belgium, making its regional profile incompatible with the group’s push toward global brands that can support multi‑market innovation and international expansion.
Griet Demasure, general manager of Personal Care Benelux at Unilever, said the company is increasingly directing resources and investment toward its largest global brands and priority categories, while Royal Sanders can provide Zwitsal with the focused attention needed to preserve its heritage and pursue further growth opportunities.
Following its 2025 results, Unilever said it would focus more heavily on Beauty & Wellbeing and Personal Care, prioritizing premium segments, digital commerce and growth in the US and India, divisions that led annual performance with underlying sales growth of 4.3% and 4.7% respectively.
Zwitsal’s sale signals that Unilever is narrowing its focus even within key categories such as baby care, concentrating investment behind larger personal care brands with broader international reach.
According to Unilever’s 2025 annual report, its Power Brands accounted for 78% of group turnover in 2025, and within Personal Care, brands including Dove, Rexona, Axe, Lifebuoy, Lux, Pepsodent and Closeup represented 90% of turnover in the same year.
The company has also reduced its Personal Care SKU count by more than 20% since 2022, creating a portfolio it describes as simpler, more global and increasingly centered on Power Brands.
Although Zwitsal enjoys strong consumer recognition in the Netherlands and Belgium, its largely regional footprint offers less potential for international scale, aligning the divestment with Unilever’s strategy of concentrating investment behind global Power Brands.
The move also follows Unilever’s broader effort to become a “simpler, sharper” company, including combining its Foods business with McCormick to focus the remaining group on Beauty, Wellbeing, Personal Care and Home Care.
The company expects Beauty, Wellbeing and Personal Care to contribute 67% of group turnover after the Foods separation, compared with 51% in fiscal 2025.
While exiting Zwitsal, Unilever is increasing spending on personal care brands and capabilities with stronger international potential; its Power Brands generated 5% underlying sales growth in Q1 2026, compared with 3.8% across the company, with Dove and Vaseline delivering double‑digit volume‑led growth that supports the focus on premium innovation and brand desirability.
Unilever has also expanded its portfolio through the acquisitions of refillable deodorant brand Wild and men’s personal care company Dr. Squatch, both of which bring premium positioning, digitally led marketing and potential for international expansion.
Against this backdrop, the sale of Zwitsal is positioned as portfolio concentration rather than a withdrawal from baby or personal care, with Unilever favoring brands capable of supporting premiumization, multi‑market launches and global investment, while Royal Sanders gains an established regional name closely aligned with its specialization in personal care.
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