Unilever: Dove and Magnum owner shrugs off economic concerns Retail Consumer goods giant Unilever has reported a period of strong growth as demand for its so-called power brands surged. In a trading update for the third quarter of 2024, the company said it had recorded underlying sales growth of 4.5 per cent compared to the prior year across its main divisions, with volume growth of [...]
WPP: New deals with Amazon and Unilever drive growth Business Like-for-like revenue at advertising giant WPP ticked up 4.1 per cent in the quarter to 30 September, despite a decline in business outside of the US and Europe. However, net new billings declined year-to-date. The figure came in at $3.2bn (£2.5bn) compared to $3.4bn (£2.6bn) in 2023. However, other regions struggled. Revenue in the UK [...]
Messi and LeBron beaten to top spot in athlete marketability rankings Sport Business US gymnast Simone Biles has beaten LeBron James and Lionel Messi to be named the most marketable athlete in the world by sports industry experts. Real Madrid and Brazil footballer Vinicius Jr is second, followed by NBA legend James, women’s basketball sensation Caitlin Clark and Messi in the list published by SportsPro magazine. Biles, who [...]
KPMG and Natwest put the CBI back in business October 9, 2024 Companies renew their memberships to CBI offering hope for the firm's continuation
We cannot allow Azerbaijan’s vile human rights abuses to be redeemed by hosting Cop29 September 27, 2024 Twelve months on from Azerbaijan’s illegal arrest of 23 Armenian leaders, the world needs to take a cold hard look at its human rights abuses, writes Paul Polman
With London IPOs on the wane, the private equity market needs to stay competitive September 27, 2024 Private equity deals have gone through a rocky patch but there is still plenty of capital looking for a home, says Edwin Richards Whilst popular in decades gone by, the age of the conglomerate has long been over. Most investors want to decide which sectors they invest in and want to be associated with champions [...]
Fashion brands told to ‘stay on the right side of the law’ amid greenwashing claims September 18, 2024 Some of the most high-profile fashion brands in the UK have been warned to be clearer on their green credentials by the UK competition watchdog as it clamps down on misleading marketing. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has issued a new sustainability compliance guide for retailers and told 17 brands to review their practices. [...]
UK at risk of losing out on Unilever ice-cream float September 15, 2024 The UK is at risk of losing out on a key deal for London because it hasn’t appointed an investment minister, according to a former Barclays chairman. Gerry Grimstone, who also worked as investment minister at the Treasury from 2020-2022, said that Labour’s lack of focus on boosting the UK’s stock market may see Unilever’s [...]
Venture capital firm launches UK’s only fund for British pensions September 2, 2024 A venture capital firm has launched the first-ever fund devoted to helping UK pension funds invest in British start-ups and scale-ups. Future Planet Capital’s new British Co-Investment Fund (BCF) will channel pension investment into some of the UK’s fastest growing and most innovative businesses in a move that has been praised as “much-needed” by start-ups [...]
Unilever considers sale of Kate Somerville’s skincare line August 27, 2024 Kate Somerville’s premium skincare brand has become the latest Unilever brand to go up for sale as the group continues its restructuring plan announced earlier in the year. As well as Somerville’s eponymous facialist line, which the FTSE-100 giant has owned since 2015, it is also looking to offload sensitive-skincare specialist REN Skincare, according to [...]