Unilever Grows Supplement Portfolio With Grüns Acquisition
As part of Unilever's focus on growing its beauty and wellness portfolio, the company plans to acquire vitamin, mineral and supplement brand Grüns.
It will join brands such as Liquid I.V., Olly, Nutrafol, SmartyPants, Onnit and Equilibra on Unilever's wellness roster.
Grüns was founded in 2023 by Chad Janis, who looked to fill a gap in the supplement market — making daily nutrients an easy and enjoyable ritual. The digitally native brand is distributed through both retail and direct-to-consumer channels in the U.S.
Jostein Solheim, Unilever well-being CEO, said Unilever became interested in Grüns for its portfolio of science-backed products with a loyal customer base.
"This combination of efficacy and experience is powerful, and together we see a significant opportunity to scale the brand within our well-being business,” said Solheim in a statement.
Also: Unilever consolidates marketing oversight, expands CMO role
Chad Janis, founder and CEO of Grüns, said the brand will leverage Unilever's network to reach more people, move faster and raise the bar on daily wellness.
The transaction is expected to finalize later this year.
Unilever's M&A History
Unilever is in a period of transition, with its foods business set to come together with McCormick in a $15 billion deal to create a "global flavor leader." In 2024, the company also separated its cream business, placing it under separate ownership.
These moves are part of an overall strategy to build stronger portfolios in four categories: beauty and wellness, personal care, home care and nutrition.
Last year, it began offloading low-performing brands, such as Kate Somerville, which was sold to Rare Beauty. Just prior to that, the company onboarded personal care brand Dr. Squatch. Additionally, Unilever acquired personal care brand Wild last summer for its innovative approach to formulations, packaging and social-first marketing.
