Unilever has made the decision to offload the FruFru and Urban Monkey brands back to their founder, Mihai Simiuc, five years after acquiring the assets from him. The financial terms of both deals were not disclosed. The FMCG giant has decided to sell the brands to their founder as part of a strategic decision to promote a healthy lifestyle. This move comes after Unilever snapped up the brands when it acquired Romanian food company Good People in 2019.
The move to sell these brands aligns with Unilever’s CEO Hein Schumacher’s plan to restore market share through bolt-on acquisitions. He is keen to fill the gaps in the premium portfolio. Around 20% of SKUs have been taken out of the portfolio in Europe since he joined Unilever and the company is focusing on premiumisation, impactful innovation, and cost savings to restore volumes and gross margin to pre-pandemic levels of circa 44%.
As Unilever sells the FruFru and Urban Monkey brands back to their founder, there may be implications for the food and beverage industry trends. This shift reflects a focus on consumer trends in the food and drink business, that may have an impact on future trends in the food and beverage industry.
Unilever is confident about the unique quality of its Company Profiles, and the announcement to sell these two brands to their founder may shape future food and drink consumer trends. It also signifies a new chapter for both the FruFru and Urban Monkey brands, promoting a healthy lifestyle within the food and beverage industry.
