Brandtree

When did Unilever buy and sell its brands?

Unilever has completed 16 recorded acquisitions and 4 divestitures or spin-offs, spanning 2000 to 2025.

DateTypeAssetsCounterpartyValue
Dec 2025Spin-offBen & Jerry's, Magnum, Wall's and Cornetto +10The Magnum Ice Cream Company—
May 2022AcquisitionNutrafol—undisclosed
Aug 2021AcquisitionPaula's Choice—undisclosed
Nov 2020AcquisitionLiquid I.V.—undisclosed
Apr 2020AcquisitionHorlicks—€3.3bn
Jun 2019AcquisitionTatcha—undisclosed
Dec 2018AcquisitionThe Vegetarian Butcher—undisclosed
Jul 2018DivestitureFlora, Becel, Country Crock and I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! +3KKR€6.83bn
Dec 2017AcquisitionSheaMoisture—undisclosed
Aug 2017AcquisitionHourglass Cosmetics—undisclosed
Dec 2016AcquisitionLiving Proof—undisclosed
Nov 2015AcquisitionKate Somerville—undisclosed
Aug 2015AcquisitionDermalogica—undisclosed
Jul 2015AcquisitionMurad—undisclosed
Jan 2013Acquisition (sold)SkippyHormel Foods$700m
Jun 2011Acquisition (sold)SanexColgate-Palmolive€672m
May 2011AcquisitionTRESemmé, VO5, Simple and St. Ives +1Alberto Culver$3.7bn
Oct 2000AcquisitionHellmann's, Knorr and MaizenaBestfoods$24.3bn
Aug 2000AcquisitionBen & Jerry'sBen & Jerry's Homemade—
Mar 2000AcquisitionColman's——

2025

Spin-off closed

Ben & Jerry's, Magnum, Wall's, Cornetto, Breyers, Talenti, Yasso, Popsicle, Klondike, Twister, Carte d'Or, Viennetta, Solero and Calippo separated from Unilever

Unilever separated its ice cream business as The Magnum Ice Cream Company, whose shares were admitted to trading on Euronext Amsterdam, the London Stock Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange on 8 December 2025. Unilever shareholders received shares in the new company as a demerger dividend, and Unilever retained a 19.9% stake at admission.

Value
—
Seller
Unilever
Regulatory
None recorded

2022

Acquisition closed

Unilever acquires Nutrafol

Unilever took majority ownership of Nutrafol, a hair growth supplement brand, having first invested in 2018. The price was not disclosed.

Value
Undisclosed
Seller
—
Regulatory
None recorded

2021

Acquisition closed

Unilever acquires Paula's Choice

Unilever acquired Paula's Choice, a skincare brand founded by a writer who had built an audience by criticising the cosmetics industry's claims. Press reports suggested around $2 billion; neither party disclosed a figure.

Value
Undisclosed
Seller
—
Regulatory
None recorded

2020

Acquisition closed

Unilever acquires Liquid I.V.

Unilever acquired Liquid I.V., an American hydration powder brand sold largely online. The price was not disclosed, and the brand has since become one of the faster-growing products in the group's portfolio.

Value
Undisclosed
Seller
—
Regulatory
None recorded
Acquisition closed

Unilever acquires Horlicks

Unilever acquired GlaxoSmithKline's Indian consumer nutrition business, including Horlicks, in a transaction valued at about €3.3 billion and settled largely in Hindustan Unilever shares. It is one of the largest deals ever done in Indian consumer goods.

Value
€3.3bn
Seller
—
Regulatory
None recorded

2019

Acquisition closed

Unilever acquires Tatcha

Unilever acquired Tatcha, a skincare brand drawing on Japanese ingredients and ritual. Press reports put the price near $500 million, but neither party disclosed it, so no figure is recorded here.

Value
Undisclosed
Seller
—
Regulatory
None recorded

2018

Acquisition closed

Unilever acquires The Vegetarian Butcher

Unilever acquired The Vegetarian Butcher, a Dutch meat substitute company founded by a former farmer. It later supplied the plant-based patty used by Burger King across Europe. The price was not disclosed.

Value
Undisclosed
Seller
—
Regulatory
None recorded
Divestiture closed

KKR acquires Flora, Becel, Country Crock, I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!, Rama, Blue Band and ProActiv

Unilever sold its spreads business to KKR, which established it as a standalone company named Upfield. Unilever had been trying to exit margarine for years as consumption declined, and the sale followed its rejection of a takeover approach from Kraft Heinz that had prompted a strategic review.

Value
€6.83bn
Buyer
KKR
Seller
Unilever
Regulatory
None recorded

2017

Acquisition closed

Unilever acquires SheaMoisture

Unilever acquired Sundial Brands, owner of SheaMoisture, a company built around hair and skin care for Black consumers that mainstream brands had long underserved. The price was not disclosed.

Value
Undisclosed
Seller
—
Regulatory
None recorded
Acquisition closed

Unilever acquires Hourglass Cosmetics

Unilever acquired Hourglass Cosmetics, a colour cosmetics brand that does not test on animals and went fully vegan in 2020. The price was not disclosed.

Value
Undisclosed
Seller
—
Regulatory
None recorded

2016

Acquisition closed

Unilever acquires Living Proof

Unilever acquired Living Proof, a hair care company founded by MIT scientists and backed by Jennifer Aniston. The price was not disclosed.

Value
Undisclosed
Seller
—
Regulatory
None recorded

2015

Acquisition closed

Unilever acquires Kate Somerville

Unilever acquired Kate Somerville, a Los Angeles clinic-founded skincare brand, continuing a run of prestige beauty purchases made within months of each other. The price was not disclosed.

Value
Undisclosed
Seller
—
Regulatory
None recorded
Acquisition closed

Unilever acquires Dermalogica

Unilever acquired Dermalogica, a professional skincare brand sold largely through therapists and salons rather than shops. The price was not disclosed.

Value
Undisclosed
Seller
—
Regulatory
None recorded
Acquisition closed

Unilever acquires Murad

Unilever acquired Murad, a dermatologist-founded skincare brand, as one of the first purchases for what became its Prestige division. The price was not disclosed, which is true of almost every brand Unilever bought for that division.

Value
Undisclosed
Seller
—
Regulatory
None recorded

2013

Acquisition closed

Hormel Foods acquires Skippy

Hormel acquired Skippy from Unilever for about $700 million, buying the second largest peanut butter brand in the United States. Unilever had held it since taking over Bestfoods in 2000 and was narrowing its food portfolio; Hormel was broadening beyond tinned meat.

Value
$700m
Seller
Unilever
Regulatory
None recorded

2011

Acquisition closed

Colgate-Palmolive acquires Sanex

Colgate-Palmolive bought Sanex from Unilever for about EUR 672 million. Unilever was selling because competition authorities required it to divest Sanex before it could complete its purchase of Sara Lee's personal care business, so one company's remedy became another's acquisition.

Value
€672m
Seller
Unilever
Regulatory
None recorded

2000

Acquisition closed

Unilever acquires Ben & Jerry's

Unilever's subsidiary Conopco acquired Ben & Jerry's Homemade in a two-step transaction: a cash tender offer at $43.60 per share through Vermont All Natural Expansion Company, followed by a back-end merger. The merger agreement created an independent board with a continuing social mission mandate.

Value
—
Regulatory
None recorded
Acquisition closed

Unilever acquires Colman's

Unilever acquired the French condiments group Amora-Maille, adding mustard and sauce brands in France. The European Commission cleared the transaction subject to commitments.

Value
—
Seller
—

Unilever acquisitions on a timeline

Timeline of completed acquisitions by Unilever

Full chart with a text equivalent, free to republish with attribution.

Brands Unilever once owned

Ownership recorded here as having ended, whether or not a deal record with a filing behind it exists for the transfer.

BrandOwned fromUntilOwner today
Wall's — Dec 2025 The Magnum Ice Cream Company
Cornetto — Dec 2025 The Magnum Ice Cream Company
Breyers — Dec 2025 The Magnum Ice Cream Company
Popsicle — Dec 2025 The Magnum Ice Cream Company
Klondike — Dec 2025 The Magnum Ice Cream Company
Twister — Dec 2025 The Magnum Ice Cream Company
Carte d'Or — Dec 2025 The Magnum Ice Cream Company
Viennetta — Dec 2025 The Magnum Ice Cream Company
Solero — Dec 2025 The Magnum Ice Cream Company
Calippo — Dec 2025 The Magnum Ice Cream Company
Magnum Jan 1989 Dec 2025 The Magnum Ice Cream Company
Ben & Jerry's Aug 2000 Dec 2025 The Magnum Ice Cream Company
Talenti Jan 2014 Dec 2025 The Magnum Ice Cream Company
Yasso Jan 2023 Dec 2025 The Magnum Ice Cream Company
Blue Band Jan 1923 Jul 2018 KKR
Rama Jan 1924 Jul 2018 KKR
Becel Jan 1960 Jul 2018 KKR
Flora Jan 1964 Jul 2018 KKR
Country Crock Jan 1981 Jul 2018 KKR
I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! Jan 1986 Jul 2018 KKR
ProActiv Jan 1999 Jul 2018 KKR
Skippy Oct 2000 Jan 2013 Hormel Foods
Lawry's Oct 2000 Jul 2008 McCormick