Unilever is to cut up to 350 UK jobs as it looks to streamline its sales and marketing operations in the country.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
The move is part of Unilever’s ongoing drive to improve performance under its “One Unilever” programme, first announced two years ago.
The consumer goods group said that three of its existing offices in the UK would move to Leatherhead in Surrey. By the end of 2008, between 300 and 350 jobs are to be cut.
“The aim is to make decisions quicker, to have a more simple, direct business and to engage with our retail customers in a much better way,” a Unilever spokesman told just-food.
The UK cuts come after Unilever announced that jobs were to go in France and the Benelux.
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 GlobalDataEarlier this month, Unilever said it would merge its Belgian and Dutch operations into one entity, Unilever Benelux.
In May, Unilever said 200 jobs in France would go in a bid to stem falling sales in the country.
Of the UK cuts, the Unilever spokesman said the company wanted to improve its cost base. “In terms of costs in the UK, we’re still not competitive enough,” he said.
The spokesman denied that Unilever shareholders had been putting pressure on the company to keep costs down. “This is just part and parcel of everyday business; shareholders always expect the business to be run as efficiently as possible.”
