Unilever Malawi stops production of non-strategic brands

Unilever Malawi says it has discontinued manufacturing and marketing of non-strategic brands as part of the company’s reorganisation plan announced earlier this year.

Unilever Malawi country manager Chikondi Ng’ombe said in an e-mailed response to a questionnaire on Tuesday the company is optimising its growth in Malawi in the years ahead.

“Unilever is now focusing on building capability among distribution partners as well as investing more on building those brands in the company’s portfolio that have purpose for Malawian consumers. Our purpose is to make sustainable living commonplace,” she said.

Ng’ombe could not disclose the brands to be affected by their plan, saying the company remains committed to continuing with its long-standing association with Malawi and put business on a sustainable footing.

Unilever chief executive officer Paul Polman said in the company’s third quarter statement of 2015 they continue to focus on continuous cost management while increasing organisational agility.

He said: “We will continue to invest steadily behind our brands, innovations and go-to-market capabilities.” n