HOUSEHOLD products giant Unilever has offered to sell three soap brands to help smooth the way for a takeover.
Unilever told the Office of Fair Trading that it would sell the Wright’s, Cidal and Simple bar soap brands to satisfy the regulator’s concerns about its acquisition of personal care products manufacturer Alberto Culver.
Unilever has agreed to buy Alberto for £2.3bn, but the OFT has concerns that Unilever would have too dominant a position in the bar soap market because it owns the Dove brand.
Alberto also manufactures Alberto VO5 and Tresemmé hair care products while Unilever’s brands also include Lux and Lifebuoy soaps, Sunsilk hair products and Signal toothpaste.
