, Columnist
Unilever Is Smart to Spin Off Ben & Jerry's and Magnum
The consumer-goods giant is right to focus on higher-growth businesses, such as beauty.
I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream. Except Unilever.
Photographer: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images
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Unilever Plc is cutting the fat — in every sense. Chief Executive Officer Hein Schumacher plans to spin off its ice-cream business, including the Magnum and Ben & Jerry’s brands, to focus on higher growth categories such as premium beauty.
It’s the right thing to do. But Schumacher, who’s been in charge since July, shouldn’t end his restructuring there, nor can he afford any slip-ups in the underlying performance of the consumer giant.