Russia: Nestlé, Auchan and Leroy Merlin’s operations seized

The British consumer goods giant Unilever and the Dutch brewer Heineken have both sold their Russian subsidiaries to a company owned by the industrialist and Kremlin ally Alexei Sagal.
In July, Reckitt, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange, agreed to sell part of its Russian business to Sagal after being hit by a new round of EU sanctions. Ferrero, on the other hand, has remained in Russia.

Quick Take — This is the worst bar of soap according to Altroconsumo: Dove, Nidra and Esselunga have also been given a failing mark

Conad and Selexsoap bars were also rated as ‘poor ’.

The survey examined25 solid soap bars(as part of a wider comparison of 65 soaps, including both solid and liquid varieties), assessing the ingredients listed on the label, their environmental impact and certain health-related aspects. The final score placed greater weight on environmental factors (70 per cent), whilst the remaining 30 per cent related to problematic ingredients, allergens and substances considered less favourable. GreenMe

(Dove is a brand of the Unilever group).

Quick Take — Unilever acquires the vitamin gummy candy brand Grüns

The group expands its wellness division in the wake of the supplement boom after agreeing the sale of the food division…

Grüns is the latest brand to join Unilever’s wellness division, which has been growing rapidly thanks to a surge in demand for vitamins and supplements since the Covid-19 pandemic. Over the past decade, soap manufacturer Dove has embarked on a series of acquisitions in the wellness sector. It has taken over brands such as the moisturising sachets Liquid IV, the hair growth supplement Nutrafol and the vitamin manufacturers Olly and SmartyPants.

In 2025, sales of the wellness division, which now includes eight brands, grew by double digits, driven by Nutrafol and Liquid IV.

Since Unilever acquired these brands, Liquid IV sales have increased sevenfold and Nutrafol sales threefold…

After the food deal, the beauty, wellness and personal care sectors, including brands such as Dove and Vaseline, will account for 67% of the group’s sales, up from 51% in 2025. Founded in 2023, Grüns produces vegetable-based gummy candies containing fruit and vegetable powder, vitamins and fibre, designed to be consumed daily to increase nutrient intake.

The company said last year that it generated $300 million in annual recurring revenues within two years of its founding, growth that will now accelerate thanks to Unilever’s global distribution network.

Among Grüns’ major distributors, besides its own site, are Amazon, Target, Walmart, Costco, Sam’s Club, and Sprouts.

Quick Take — Cibo e vino: come si stanno modificando i menu e le abitudini alimentari negli Stati Uniti

Cibo: un terzo degli acquirenti mangia di più a casa, compra più prodotti a marchio del supermercato e fa acquisti all’ingrosso Progressive Grocer.

Vino: i rivenditori o grossisti di vini e liquori statunitensi stanno riscrivendo i menu o rifornendo gli scaffali dei negozi con opzioni più economiche a causa dei dazi imposti sulle importazioni provenienti da regioni produttrici di alcolici come l’Europa a partire dallo scorso anno Reuters.

Sotto due prodotti della “private selection”, gamma premium di Kroger, quarto distributore degli USA.

In estrema sintesi è un brutto momento per le marche leader e per i grandi vini che rischiano di essere spodestati da prodotti che costano di meno dei loro. Ciò spiega, almeno in parte, alcune cessioni, avvenute ultimamente in casa Nestlè e Unilever.