United Kingdom
www.pzcussons.com
Sales: $1.1 billion

PZ Cussons will kick off the new year with a new leader. The board appointed Caroline Silver as non-executive chair of the company, effective Jan. 1, 2017 following the retirement of Richard Harvey. She was appointed as a non-executive director of the company in April 2014 and is presently senior independent director and chair of the audit and risk committee. Silver is managing director at Moelis & Co, the global investment bank.

The PZ Cussons board also reported that the performance of the group for the year ended May 31, 2016 was in line with expectations with performance in Europe and Asia offsetting more difficult trading conditions in Africa. The financial position of the group remains strong with cash generation, also in line with expectations.

In the UK washing and bathing division, all brands have performed strongly driven by a continuous program of renovation and innovation. The Imperial Leather portfolio has been extended with a new range of Sweets and Fruits products for bath and shower. The new range of shower and bath products under the Carex brand has performed well in addition to good growth across the core range of handwash products. Original Source has also performed well with new fragrances launched across its range of shower, hand wash and body care products, according to the company.

In the beauty division, St. Tropez has seen excellent growth in its key markets of UK, US and Australia. The Gradual Tan in Shower Lotion launched last year has been particularly successful and the range has recently been extended with a darker variant. Further product launches have also taken place across the Sanctuary, Charles Worthington and Fudge brands. Performance in the smaller markets of Poland and Greece has been in line with expectations.

In Australia, good performance across personal care, beauty and nutrition offset more difficult trading conditions in the home care category. Indonesia saw another year of good revenue growth with the entire baby range being completely re-launched in the second half of the year. Further renovation has also taken place across Imperial Leather, Carex and Original Source.

Overall performance in the smaller markets of Thailand and the Middle East has been in line with expectations. In Nigeria, all business units are selling relatively well despite a challenging macro environment where consumers are being affected by inflationary pressures. Performance in the smaller markets of Ghana and Kenya has been in line with expectations.

PZ Cussons, in conjunction with Carex, is promoting the study of chemistry through the PZ Cussons Carex Chemistry Challenge, an open competition among Nigerian secondary schools.

United Kingdom
www.pzcussons.com
Sales: $1.4 billion

Much like that of its motherland back during the 19th and early 20th centuries, PZ Cussons’ reach goes far beyond mainland England.  In fact, the firm breaks its sales performance down to three main regions—Africa, Asia and Europe (its largest segment by revenues). The company’s products are also available across the pond in the US.

According to Cussons, gains were made in Africa thanks to its “value add” portfolio with products such as Premier, Zip, Morning Fresh, Carex and Cussons Baby. However, the firm said bulk detergents and laundry soaps saw lower revenue and profit due to extremely competitive environment.

Within Cusson’s Asia unit, Morning Fresh extended its No. 1 market share position in Australia’s manual dishwash sector and Radiant laundry powder and liquids also saw growth. In Indonesia, Cussons relaunched Imperial Lather with new bar and liquid soap.

In Europe, Cussons has been restaging some of its leading products. For example, washing and bathing brands performed well in the UK, driven by significant renovation and innovation program with more than 70% of products re-launched or refreshed. In addition, the Imperial Leather portfolio was re-launched in a tiered format (Classic, Signature and Indulgence ranges) that, according to Cussons, caters to all price points and consumer needs.  In addition, Cusson’s sunless tanning business, St Tropez, got a boost from supermodel brand ambassador Kate Moss.

Cussons shuttered the Sanctuary Covent Garden spa and three smaller spas as part of its strategy to move away from the spa business toward branded products. To fuel that shift, the firm launched its first Sanctuary Spa brand campaign, tapping UK creative agency Southpaw to do the work.

One year ago, PZ Cussons became a palm oil member of The Forest Trust and unveiled its “PZ Palm Oil Promise,” which outlined the company’s commitments with a time-bound action plan.

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

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.”

United Kingdom
www.pzcussons.com

Sales: $1.3 billion

Sales rose nearly 5% for the year ended May 31, 2012, despite challenging conditions in Nigeria and Australia—two key markets for PZ Cussons.

In the beauty division, growth has been achieved in existing markets through new product launches and expansion into new distribution channels, as well as entry into new overseas markets such as Poland, Germany and Canada, the company said.
Having formed this beauty unit only the year before, PZ Cussons has taken major steps to raise its profile, adding boldface names to promote its brands. The highlight has been the addition of supermodel Kate Moss as the face St. Tropez, which is sold in 18 countries.

Michelle Feeney, CEO of PZ Cussons Beauty, said Moss “epitomizes St.Tropez’s naturally glamorous approach to self-tanning and is a long-time advocate of the brand.” The company said that sales rates “have already responded positively following an extensive PR campaign both in the UK and overseas and the roll out of new in-store imagery.”

The St. Tropez brand has been on a tear in the US where revenue increased 2.5-fold to about $12 milion, the company said, thanks to distribution via Sephora, launching in more than 300 JC Penney Stores and extensive media coverage including QVC.
Also within beauty, Cussons recently tapped Nichola Joss as Sanctuary Spa global beauty ambassador, and made the line available in the US via QVC.

According to Cussons, new product development has ensured that core brands such as Imperial Leather, Carex and Original Source have continued to perform well despite intense promotional activity in the trade and a challenging consumer environment.  For example, there’s Carex Protect Plus, which has a new technology that kills bacteria for up to two hours after use. In Africa, the Canoe brand was expanded from laundry soap to detergent and the Radiant Laundry range was bolstered with new liquid unit dose capsules.

The firm has also seen success with its Cussons Kids line, especially Indonesia, where the range has grown 32% year-on-year in a previously untapped market segment, the company said.

Cussons sold its Polish home care brands to Henkel in a $71 million cash deal.  The accord included the E brand and certain smaller lines in laundry detergent, fabric conditioner and washing categories in the country as well as in central and eastern Europe. For the year ended May 31, 2012, revenue generated by these brands was about $79 million.

According to Alex Kanellis, chief executive of PZ Cussons Plc, the divestment will enable Cussons to focus on developing the personal care business in Poland and will further strengthen its balance sheet, improving flexibility to take advantage of new investment opportunities.

United Kingdom
www.pzcussons.com

Sales: $1.3 billion

Corporate sales hit $1.3 billion for Cusson’s fiscal year ended May 31, 2011, up 6.4%. Operating was $176.0 million, up 6.6%. To kick off 2012, PZ Cussons Beauty acquired the Fudge hair care brand from Australian-based Sabre Group for about $40 million. Established in 1991, Fudge is a leading premium hair care brand, sold predominantly through salon distribution in the UK, Australia and New Zealand. It is best known for its styling range, which includes well-known Hair Shaper. Approximately 50% of Fudge sales are currently in the UK and Europe and 50% come from Australia and New Zealand. Fudge’s revenue in 2011 was $25.5 million.

The Charles Worthington hair care range from PZ Cussons.

Michelle Feeney, CEO of PZ Cussons Beauty, called Fudge “a natural fit for our portfolio as we continue to bring well-loved brands back to the forefront and make beauty accessible to all.”

Could more acquisitions be on the way? In July, Cussons secured a $222 million debt refinancing deal, which, according to UK-based press reports, will give the firm the room it needs to “take advantage of market opportunities.”

United Kingdom

www.pzcussons.com

Sales: $1.2 billion

Sales fell 1.3% for the year ended May 31, 2010. However, net profit rose 28.4% to nearly $101 million.

According to the company, there was an increase in profitability across Australia, Indonesia and the Middle East, as well as strong growth in UK profitability delivered through an effective brand renovation program. There was continued progress in Poland through a particular focus on personal washes. Plus, there was a good start to the year in Greece, although trading in the second half became more difficult due to the deteriorating economic environment.

In September 2010, PZ Cussons Plc acquired St Tropez Holdings Limited from UK private equity group LDC in a $98.8 million cash deal. St Tropez is the UK’s leading sunless tanning product range consisting of lotions, mousses, sprays and other products. More than 80% of St Tropez’s sales are within the UK with Australia and the US also growing markets for the brand. Distribution in the UK is mainly via Boots, Superdrug, Debenhams, Sainsbury’s, House of Fraser and John Lewis, as well as through major salons, according to Cussons. The St Tropez retail range comprises approximately 30 products organized across self-tan, gradual tan and wash off varieties, complemented by tan optimizing products. All manufacturing is outsourced to third parties, according to Cussons.

“The acquisition of the St. Tropez brand represents an excellent strategic opportunity for PZ Cussons and further strengthens our portfolio of masstige brands which includes The Sanctuary and Charles Worthington,” said Alex Kanellis, chief executive of PZ Cussons Plc. “We see good growth opportunities, both in the UK and overseas, particularly by linking the strategy to that of The Sanctuary spa brand.”

The Sanctuary Spa Covent Garden officially opened its doors more than a year ago, marking the first city Sanctuary Spa outside London. Experts such as The Sanctuary’s medical consultant Dr. Elizabeth Wilkinson, and representatives from skin care brands Carita and Environ, were on hand at the grand opening. New doors in Richmond and Bristol were also opened.

In December 2010, former East Enders actress Nadia Sawalha joined Carex, PZ Cussons’ UK handwash brand, for its latest campaign aimed at moms. The new “More Time On Our Hands” promotion highlighted the soap’s new faster acting formula. In February, the Otumfuo Osei Tutu II Charity Foundation initiated a project on handwashing with soap in the country, and PZ Cussons backed the effort with a $34 million donation as well as detergents.

One of the bigger news items of the year, however, for the company was that PZ Cussons formed the PZ Cussons Beauty Division, a strategic move designed to maximize the potential, both in the UK and internationally, of its portfolio of premium beauty brands St Tropez, The Sanctuary and Charles Worthington.

Michelle Feeney, chief executive officer of St Tropez, was appointed to the new position of CEO of PZ Cussons Beauty, bringing to the role both extensive experience, and a history of delivering growth.
She will report to Alex Kanellis, group chief executive of PZ Cussons, and will be supported by managing directors Ann Murray (UK) and Selma Terzic (International), who have held lead roles in the Group’s Sanctuary and St Tropez businesses, respectively.

The division is based in Covent Garden, London. PZ Cussons UK will be responsible for the group’s core washing and bathing portfolio, including Imperial Leather, Original Source and Carex.

Scents created by PZ Cussons’ specialist fragrance business, Seven are being used as an integral part of a number of unique multi-sensory performances at this year’s Manchester International Festival.

Launched by PZ Cussons as a stand-alone business in May 2010, Seven Scent Ltd has more than 25 years of experience in supplying fragrance to global markets.

United Kingdom
www.pzcussons.com
Sales: $963 million

PZ Cussons’ corporate sales jumped 27% last year—with its toiletries and household unit also posting a significant gain.

“2009 has been another successful year for PZ Cussons with strong performance in all territories despite the challenging economic environment,” commented then chairman Anthony Green. On July 1, Richard Harvey took over as chairman, replacing the retiring Green, who had served as executive chairman since 1993.

Green and staff have new digs as PZ Cussons recently moved into its new international headquarters near the Manchester Airport. Last year, the company opened a new innovation center in Salford, England.

New in 2010, PZ Cussons’ venerable Imperial Leather brand created a limited edition fragrance called Dacha, of which only 500 bottles were made available. Dacha includes many of the same oils, musks and balsams as the original Imperial Leather fragrance, but they were rebalanced and blended with new notes, to create a sensuous feminine fragrance, according to the company.

In November 2009, PZ Cusson’s subsidiary The Sanctuary at Covent Garden Ltd., acquired Body Experience Ltd., a provider of spa services.

United Kingdom
www.pzcussons.com
Sales: $975 million

PZ Cussons’ corporate sales exceeded $1.3 billion for the year ended May 31, 2008, with sales of $975 million for personal care and household products.

According to chairman Anthony J. Green, the diverse geographic spread of PZ Cussons’ businesses, together with the growing number of categories in which it operates, has demonstrated that the firm can successfully evolve both as markets develop and as economic conditions, both local and global, change.

And could the Cussons product mix get even bigger? Back in April, the Manchester Evening News reported that Cussons was on the “shortlist of bidders” for Sara Lee’s European household and personal care unit, which includes Brylcreem hair gel, Sanex deodorant and Ambi Pur air freshener.

The Sanctuary brand and spa, which Cussons purchased in January 2008, has continued to perform well for its new owners. Approximately two-thirds of revenue and profits are derived from sales from Boots, the sole UK distributor, with the balance arising from The Sanctuary Spa in Covent Garden, London.

The Cussons Personal Wash Centre of Excellence in Manchester, England is fully operational with tangible benefits now being realized by the co-location of liquids manufacturing, research and development and perfumery capability at one site, according to the company.

United Kingdom
www.cussons.com
Sales: $828 million

Sales:

$828 million for personal care and household products. Corporate sales: $1.11 billion for the year ended May 31, 2007.

Sales rose 7% in PZ Cusson’s fiscal year ended May 31, 2007.

In January, PZ Cussons acquired Sanctuary Spa Holdings, maker of premium beauty and body care products sold under the Sanctuary brand. According to Cussons, 90% of Sanctuary’s personal care products—shower and bath products, salt scrubs, body lotions, body oils and a small but growing skincare line—are sold in the UK through an exclusive distribution agreement with Boots the Chemist.  The £75m cash deal also included Sanctuary Spa, the UK’s largest day spa based in London’s Covent Garden, which plays an important part in the development of the Sanctuary range of products. Some 64,000 visitors, most of them women, use the facility each year.

PZ Cussons is also setting its sights on females with, SkinBliss moisturizing shower lotion, a new launch from the venerable and very masculine Imperial Leather line. A £1.5 million advertising launch is set to begin next month.