Can a Focused Unilever Match P&G and L'Oréal?
FMCG Weekly · 2026-03-23 · 16 min
Episode notes
This episode analyzes Unilever’s potential divestiture of its food division, valued at over €30 billion, to McCormick & Company. This move would be a fundamental shift toward a pure-play beauty and personal care model, aimed at eliminating the "conglomerate discount" and matching the valuation multiples of peers like P&G. While the food division remains profitable with a 22.6% operating margin, its 2.5% growth lags behind the 4.7% seen in Personal Care. We benchmark Unilever’s RGM capabilities against L’Oréal and P&G, highlighting the role of AI in driving "Desire at Scale" and the risks of stranded costs during this massive transition. FMCG Weekly - News and trends curated by Accuris, the leading independent consultancy for revenue growth management
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