Unilever’s European cuts have reached the Netherlands after the company revealed it would close three factories in the country by the end of next year.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more


The consumer goods giant, maker of brands including Ben & Jerry’s ice cream and Knorr soup, said earlier this year that it would cut 20,000 jobs worldwide in a bid to cut costs and improve efficiency.


Unilever has already announced job losses and restructuring in the UK, France and Sweden and today (9 October) the company said its Dutch operations would also be affected.


Unilever’s plants in Delft, Loosdrecht and Vlaardingen would close by the end of 2008, with the loss of some 474 jobs. Unilever said costs at the three sites were higher than in the rest of Europe. The company’s other three factories in the Netherlands will remain open.


Kees van der Waaij, head of Unilever’s business in the Netherlands, said: “I emphasise that the Netherlands is an important country and will remain so for Unilever.”

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

Van der Waaij said Unilever would continue to invest in its Dutch operations after seeing sales in the country grow fastest of all its Western European markets over the last two years.

Just Food Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Just Food Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Winning five categories in the 2025 Just Food Excellence Awards, Centric Software is setting the pace for digital transformation in food and FMCG. Explore how its integrated PLM and PXM suite delivers faster launches, smarter compliance and data-driven growth for complex, multi-channel product portfolios.

Discover the Impact