|
The
acquisition of unlisted Acerte Group and its chain of 123
franchised laundromats and "express" tailors for an undisclosed
sum is part of Unilever's effort to boost its exposure to health
and hygiene related areas, the Anglo-Dutch company said.
"The idea is to have the largest franchise in the sector in the
country within five years," Eduardo Campanella, Unilever's vice
president of marketing in Brazil, said in an interview, adding
that the company could quadruple the existing number of outlets.
The creation of the chain echoes on a smaller scale Procter &
Gamble Co's <PG.N> expanding presence in the U.S. drycleaning
and wash-and-fold space, where it operates in more than 800
locations named for Tide, the one detergent brand that outsells
Omo on a global basis.
Campanella said Unilever has seen the recent growth in public
concern about hygiene as an opportune moment to boost its
exposure to personal care and beauty lines of business at a
moment when margins in its food business are under pressure.
Unilever, maker of food brands such as Hellmann's and Knorr, in
April ditched its annual sales targets as consumer consumption
habits changed. Campanella said the laundry franchise business
could be expanded to some of the other 162 countries where
Unilever has a presence.
(Editing by Christian Plumb and David Gregorio)
[© 2020 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2020 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.
|
|
