Unilever, one of the world’s largest consumer good companies, has acquired the personal care brand Wild. The move, announced on the 1st April is the latest step in Unilever’s plan to optimise it’s portfolio in premium and high-growth spaces as part of the Growth Action Plan 2030.
Launched in 2020 by two childhood friends, Freddy Ward and Charlie Bowes-Lyon, Wild is a UK-based company on a mission to eradicate single-use plastic from bathrooms through innovative, natural, refillable alternatives. Best known for its refillable deodorants and plastic-free packaging, the Wild range extends to lip balms, bodywashes and hand washes, all designed to make a lasting impact on both consumers and the planet.
Wild has built a loyal consumer base with its digitally native, direct-to-consumer and retail model, offering desirable, natural, and refillable products. Its rapid growth, premium positioning across personal care categories, and status as the UK’s No. 1 refillable deodorant brand make it a strategic addition to Unilever’s Personal Care portfolio.
In a statement announcing the acquisition, Wild reaffirmed its commitment to sustainability and its ambition to take refillable personal care mainstream. “We started Wild five years ago with a simple mission: to remove as much single-use plastic from personal care routines as possible. Thanks to your support, to date we’ve diverted over 750,000 kg of single-use plastic and planted over 1.2 million trees,” the company shared. “As a small company, it’s really hard to make a big splash on our own and by leveraging Unilever’s global network and capabilities, we can reach more people than ever before, making sustainable personal care more accessible.”
While the terms of the deal were not disclosed, industry sources suggest Wild’s valuation stands at £230 million, with media sources widely reporting that Ward and Bowes-Lyon are expected to pocket around £100 million from the deal.
Fabian Garcia, President of Unilever Personal Care, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Wild into the Unilever family. The brand’s innovative approach to formulations and packaging, and social-first marketing, has made Wild an unmissably superior brand, and a perfect complement to our Personal Care portfolio. Charlie, Freddy and the team have put consumers at the heart of the brand which is a testament to its success.”
Wild Co-Founder Charlie Bowes-Lyon said: “Joining Unilever marks an exciting new chapter for Wild. Our mission to remove single-use plastic from the bathroom with desirable, innovative personal care products will be hugely strengthened by leveraging Unilever’s expertise, scale and reach to further grow the brand and bring our vision to more consumers.”
Despite the acquisition, Wild assured customers that its core values remain unchanged. “Rest assured, nothing about our core values, mission, or brand will change! Our formulas will stay just as you love them, with the best premium ingredients that you’ve heard of and that are good for your skin and we’ll remain 100% vegan, cruelty-free, and B-Corp certified,” the company stated. “Our commitment to sustainability will only enhance as we’ll now be able to invest in cutting-edge technologies that will help reduce our environmental impact even further.”
With Unilever’s resources and global reach, Wild sees this partnership as a major step forward in making sustainable bathroom products more accessible. “We remain the same team, working from the same place, with the same dream and promise to continue to work harder than ever to change the way we think about bathroom products. We can’t wait for what’s ahead and we are so grateful for your support in helping us get here.”
