United Kingdom
www.pzcussons.com
Sales: $1.3 billion

Key Personnel: Richard Harvey, chairman; Alex Kanellis, group chief executive; Chris Davis, chief operating officer; Brandon Leigh, chief financial officer; Selma Terzic, global managing director, PZ Cussons Beauty.

Major Products: Personal care—Imperial Leather, Joy, Cussons Baby, Robb, Cussons Pure, Cussons Mum & Me, Premier, Carex, Venus, Luksja, Original Source, Sanctuary Spa, Charles Worthington, St. Tropez, Fudge.  Household products—Morning Fresh, Radiant, Robb, Duck.

New Products: Cussons Me & Me Little Explorers, Premier and Imperial Leather re-launch, Zip and Elephant line extensions, St.Tropez Self Tan Express Advanced Bronzing Mousse, Charles Worthington Root Concealer, Sanctuary Spa Wonder Oil Serum.

Comments: Beauty and home care innovations boosted sales for the year ended May 31, 2013, as revenue increased 2.8% to $1.3 billion for PZ Cussons. According to the company’s annual report, there was revenue and profit growth in all regions of Africa, Asia and Europe.

In business news, there was a post-year announcement of the acquisition of Australian baby food brand Rafferty’s Garden for $63 million as well as the sale of Cussons’ Polish home care brands for $70 million. PZ Cussons also commissioned a palm oil refinery in Nigeria as part of the joint venture with Wilmar for a new consumer brand launch.

In the UK, the washing and bathing division performance has been “robust” with new product launches key to attracting consumers and helping to differentiate brands in a competitive trading environment, noted PZ Cussons. One highlight was the relaunch of the premium Imperial Leather Foamburst shower range with new imagery and fragrances. During the year, Carex extended its market leadership in the antibacterial hand wash segment with a new children’s variant that is said to be performing particularly well.
Furthermore, new product launches have also taken place across the Original Source and Cussons Mum & Me brands, with the latter being extended with a Little Explorers range for young children.

According to Cussons, all four brands in the beauty division “have seen good progress.” St Tropez, in particular, has benefited from the appointment of Kate Moss as brand ambassador in May 2013 and has seen distribution expand further in overseas markets such as the US, Canada and Germany.

And while Sanctuary has also performed well, PZ Cussons closed its iconic Covent Garden spa at the end of May 2014 and will now focus on spa-at-home products that will enable women to create their own Sanctuary Spa in the comfort of their own houses.
The Fudge hair care brand has seen a number of new product launches and Charles Worthington has performed well following its re-launch last year.

Elsewhere in Europe, performance in Poland has been strong in both home care and in personal care under the portfolio of Luksja, Original Source and Carex, Cussons said. Merger control clearance for the sale of the home care brands is in its final review stage and a decision as to whether clearance will be granted is expected very shortly, according to executives at the company.

“The Group has delivered a good result for the half year with growth in both revenue and profitability,” said Richard Harvey, chairman. “Our balance sheet remains strong and we have the appetite to pursue further investment opportunities which fit our strategic aims.”