OREANDA-NEWS Unilever, an international manufacturer of consumer consumer goods and food products, has completed the sale of its business in Russia and Belarus in favor of the Arnest group of companies, according to company releases.

"Unilever today completed the sale of its Russian division to the Arnest Group, a Russian manufacturer of perfumes, cosmetics and household goods. The sale includes Unilever's entire business in Russia and its four plants in the country. Our business in Belarus is also included in the sale," Unilever said in a release.

Arnest clarifies in its release that the subject of the acquisition were assets, including four production sites in Yekaterinburg, Omsk, St. Petersburg and Tula. The report also notes that Unilever has been preparing the business for sale for a year and the company's work included the separation of information technology platforms, supply chains, as well as the translation of brands into Cyrillic.

In March 2022, Unilever announced the suspension of exports of its products to and from Russia, as well as the cessation of investments in the country and spending on media and advertising.

Unilever was founded in 1930 as a result of the merger of the Dutch Margarine Uni and the British Lever Brothers. Currently, its portfolio includes approximately 400 brands represented in the markets of 190 countries. Including in Russia, she had about 40 brands, the most famous of them: cosmetic products Axe, Dove, "Forest balm", "Clean Line", Rexona, "Velvet pens", "Black Pearl", household chemicals Cif and Domestos, ice cream Magnat, Ekzo, Inmarko", Carte D'Or, Knorr food products.

For Arnest, this is not the first purchase from foreigners – they had previously acquired the Russian assets of the American manufacturer of aluminum cans for drinks Ball Corporation and the Dutch brewing concern Heineken. And before that, the group was known as the largest manufacturer of perfumery, cosmetics and household products in aerosol packaging in Russia.