Dr. Squatch
2025
Why
Unilever acquired the US men's personal care brand Dr. Squatch as part of its shift toward premium personal care.
Unilever PLC
Consumer GoodsFounded 1929- HQ today: London, United Kingdom
Reviewed by Swet Parvadiya
Company data updated: October 2026
Acquisitions
Unilever Acquisitions
19
Major Deals Covered
$326M
Disclosed Deal Value
What are Unilever's biggest acquisitions?
Unilever's largest disclosed acquisition here is Ben & Jerry's for $326M in 2000. This page covers 19 major deals from 1978 to 2025, each with its price where disclosed and the reason behind it.
- Major deals covered
- 19
- Largest deal
- Ben & Jerry's ($326M)
- First deal
- 1978
- Most recent
- 2025
| Company | Year | Price | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brooke Bond | 1984 | Undisclosed | Unilever acquired Brooke Bond in 1984. |
| Calvin Klein Cosmetics | 1989 | Undisclosed | Unilever acquired Calvin Klein Cosmetics in 1989. |
| Breyers | 1993 | Undisclosed | Unilever acquired Breyers in 1993. |
| Ben & Jerry's | 2000 | $326.0M | Unilever bought Ben & Jerry's for about $326 million to add a premium US ice cream brand. |
| Maille | 2000 | Undisclosed | Unilever acquired Maille in 2000. |
| Diplom-Is | 2010 | Undisclosed | Unilever acquired Diplom-Is in 2010. |
| REN Skincare | 2015 | Undisclosed | Unilever acquired REN Skincare in 2015. |
| Blueair | 2016 | Undisclosed | Unilever acquired Blueair in 2016. |
| Sir Kensington's | 2017 | Undisclosed | Unilever acquired Sir Kensington's in 2017. |
| Weis | 2017 | Undisclosed | Unilever acquired Weis in 2017. |
| Mãe Terra | 2017 | Undisclosed | Unilever acquired Mãe Terra in 2017. |
| Sundial Brands | 2017 | Undisclosed | Unilever acquired Sundial Brands in 2017. |
| Schmidt's Naturals | 2017 | Undisclosed | Unilever acquired Schmidt's Naturals in 2017. |
| Paula's Choice | 2021 | Undisclosed | Unilever acquired the science-based skincare brand Paula's Choice to expand in prestige and digital-first beauty. |
| Dr. Squatch | 2025 | Undisclosed | Unilever acquired the US men's personal care brand Dr. Squatch as part of its shift toward premium personal care. |
| Wild | 2025 | Undisclosed | Unilever acquired UK refillable deodorant brand Wild. |
| Minimalist | 2025 | Undisclosed | Unilever, through Hindustan Unilever, acquired Indian skincare brand Minimalist. |
| National Starch Company | 1978 | Undisclosed | Unilever PLC acquired National Starch Company in 1978. |
| Grom | 2015 | Undisclosed | Unilever PLC acquired Grom in 2015. |
- What companies has Unilever bought?
- Major acquisitions by Unilever documented here include Ben & Jerry's (2000), Dr. Squatch (2025), Wild (2025), Minimalist (2025) and Paula's Choice (2021).
- What is Unilever's most recent acquisition?
- The most recent Unilever acquisition documented here is Dr. Squatch, in 2025.
Wild
2025
Why
Unilever acquired UK refillable deodorant brand Wild.
Minimalist
2025
Why
Unilever, through Hindustan Unilever, acquired Indian skincare brand Minimalist.
Paula's Choice
2021
Why
Unilever acquired the science-based skincare brand Paula's Choice to expand in prestige and digital-first beauty.
Impact
It joined Unilever's Prestige Beauty unit alongside brands such as Dermalogica and Tatcha.
Outcome
Paula's Choice is part of the beauty portfolio Unilever is prioritizing.
Sir Kensington's
2017
Why
Unilever acquired Sir Kensington's in 2017.
Weis
2017
Why
Unilever acquired Weis in 2017.
Mãe Terra
2017
Why
Unilever acquired Mãe Terra in 2017.
Sundial Brands
2017
Why
Unilever acquired Sundial Brands in 2017.
Schmidt's Naturals
2017
Why
Unilever acquired Schmidt's Naturals in 2017.
Blueair
2016
Why
Unilever acquired Blueair in 2016.
REN Skincare
2015
Why
Unilever acquired REN Skincare in 2015.
Grom
2015
Why
Unilever PLC acquired Grom in 2015.
Diplom-Is
2010
Why
Unilever acquired Diplom-Is in 2010.
Ben & Jerry's
2000
$326M
Why
Unilever bought Ben & Jerry's for about $326 million to add a premium US ice cream brand.
Impact
The deal kept an independent Ben & Jerry's board to protect the brand's social mission.
Outcome
That governance arrangement later caused public disputes with Unilever, and Ben & Jerry's moved to The Magnum Ice Cream Company in the December 2025 demerger.
Maille
2000
Why
Unilever acquired Maille in 2000.
Breyers
1993
Why
Unilever acquired Breyers in 1993.
Calvin Klein Cosmetics
1989
Why
Unilever acquired Calvin Klein Cosmetics in 1989.
Brooke Bond
1984
Why
Unilever acquired Brooke Bond in 1984.
National Starch Company
1978
Why
Unilever PLC acquired National Starch Company in 1978.
Unilever PLC's Growth & Acquisition Strategy
Under Fernando Fernandez, Unilever is concentrating investment behind about 30 Power Brands, increasing marketing spend through social and influencer channels, rotating the portfolio toward premium beauty and wellbeing (2025 deals included Dr. Squatch, Wild and Minimalist), and separating lower-growth food and ice cream assets.
How Unilever PLC Makes Money
Unilever makes money by manufacturing and selling branded, repeat-purchase consumer products through supermarkets, convenience stores, pharmacies, small independent shops and e-commerce. After the 2025 Ice Cream demerger it reports four business groups: Beauty & Wellbeing, Personal Care, Home Care and Foods. Its Power Brands, such as Dove, Vaseline, Rexona, Sunsilk, OMO and Knorr, made up 78% of turnover in 2025. Emerging markets like India (through Hindustan Unilever), Indonesia and Brazil are a large part of sales, where low-priced formats such as sachets help reach lower-income shoppers. Margin comes from brand pricing power, gross-margin improvements and marketing scale; Unilever spent 16.1% of turnover on brand and marketing investment in H1 2026. The pending McCormick transaction would leave Unilever focused mainly on beauty, personal care, wellbeing and home care.
Unilever Acquisitions FAQ
What was the largest corporate acquisition in Unilever history?
In October 2000, Unilever completed the transformative $20.3 billion acquisition of American food giant Bestfoods, adding global powerhouse brands Knorr, Hellmann's, and Mazola to its portfolio.
How did Unilever acquire Ben & Jerry's in 2000 while preserving its mission?
In April 2000, Unilever acquired Ben & Jerry's for $326 million under an unprecedented governance contract that established an independent board of directors to safeguard the ice cream maker's progressive social mission and product quality.
What happened with Unilever's $1.0 billion acquisition of Dollar Shave Club in 2016?
Unilever acquired direct-to-consumer pioneer Dollar Shave Club for $1.0 billion in 2016 to challenge Gillette, but struggled with razor subscription profitability and eventually sold a majority stake to private equity firm Nexus Capital in 2023.
What was the acquisition of GlaxoSmithKline's Consumer Healthcare in India (Horlicks)?
In 2018–2020, Hindustan Unilever completed a €4.6 billion transaction merging GSK Consumer Healthcare India into HUL, acquiring beloved malted nutritional milk drink brands Horlicks and Boost.
Why did Unilever acquire prestige skincare brand Paula's Choice in 2021?
Unilever acquired digital-first, science-backed skincare brand Paula's Choice from TA Associates for an estimated $2.0 billion in 2021, expanding its fast-growing Prestige Beauty division.
How did Unilever expand into functional hydration with Liquid I.V. in 2020?
Unilever acquired electrolyte powdered drink mix brand Liquid I.V. in September 2020, scaling it through mass retail distribution into the leading wellness hydration brand in North America.
What did the acquisition of biotech haircare company K18 add in 2024?
In early 2024, Unilever acquired K18, a premium science-based haircare brand known for proprietary peptide hair repair technology, strengthening its Prestige Beauty and salon haircare portfolio.
Why did Unilever divest its Elida Beauty portfolio in 2024?
Unilever sold Elida Beauty (comprising non-core regional personal care brands like Q-tips, Impulse, Caress, and Timotei) to Yellow Wood Partners in 2024 to streamline focus on its 30 Power Brands.
What are the details of the Ice Cream division demerger announced in 2024?
Unilever initiated the complete operational separation of its €8 billion Ice Cream business (Magnum, Ben & Jerry's, Wall's, Breyers) into an independent publicly listed company, optimizing capital allocation.
What was the strategic transaction with McCormick in March 2026?
In March 2026, Unilever entered an agreement to combine the majority of its culinary foods and condiments business with McCormick, creating a global flavor powerhouse while freeing Unilever to invest in personal care.
How does Unilever integrate acquired prestige beauty and wellness brands?
Unilever operates Prestige Beauty and Health & Wellbeing as standalone entrepreneurial units, maintaining founders' creative brand autonomy while leveraging Unilever's global regulatory and retail distribution muscle.
What is Unilever's current M&A and capital allocation strategy?
Unilever avoids multi-billion-dollar dilutive mega-mergers, focusing strictly on high-margin bolt-on acquisitions in premium skincare, haircare, and science-backed wellness while divesting slower-growing food and regional assets.
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