Blitz Bureau
Consumer goods giant Unilever has finally confirmed its acquisition of refillable deodorant brand Wild. The terms of the deal were not disclosed, but it is believed to value Wild at £230m.
Wild, which was started in 2019 by Charlie Bowes-Lyon and Freddy Ward, flourished during Covid-19 and reached its first year of profitable growth in 2023.
“Joining Unilever marks an exciting new chapter for Wild,” co-founder Charlie Bowes-Lyon said.
“Our mission to remove single-use plastic from the bathroom with desirable, innovative personal care products will be hugely strengthened by leveraging Unilever’s expertise, scale and reach to further grow the brand and bring our vision to more consumers.” Bowes-Lyon told The Times that he hopes Unilever will be able to help Wild shift some production – particularly that of its aluminium casings – from China to Unilever-owned factories in America.
The acquisition of Wild is part of Unilever’s Growth Action Plan 2030, where its portfolio will be optimised towards “premium and high growth spaces”, Unilever said. “[Wild is] a perfect complement to our Personal Care portfolio,” Fabian Garcia, president of Unilever Personal Care, said.
