Unilever has finally revealed its strategy for increasing profits and culling brands by announcing 25,000 job losses worldwide ­ 10% of its entire workforce. Although turnover increased 2% in the full year to December 31 1999 to £27.63bn, pretax profit dipped 5% to £2.917bn. The jobs cuts come as part of the household products groups' attempt to concentrate on 400 "power brands" (as first revealed in The Grocer on September 25 1999). It means it is ditching 1,200 of its lesser known and poorer performing lines. Although the company remains tightlipped about the brands on the hit-list, analysts they could include Jif lemon juice and Radion detergent. The remaining 400 brands - including Dove Soap, Wall's ice creams such as Magnum and Solero, Bird's Eye fish fingers, Ragu pasta sauces and Calvin Klein fragrances ­ will be boosted with a £1bn advertising campaign. Job cuts in the UK are likely to be minimal. The company employs 16,500 people across 27 UK plants. It intends to close 100 sites out of the 250 manufacturing operations worldwide, but has stressed the closures are likely to hit mainland Europe and the US hardest. The Elizabeth Arden cosmetics operation is in the firing line. The restructuring will cost £3.3bn but Unilever intends to save £1bn a year as a result. More than 9,000 employees have seen their Share-save nest eggs halve in value over the past six months as Unilever's listing has plummeted. Chief executive Niall Fitzgerald's own holding has shrunk by more than £100,000. {{NEWS }}

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