Unilever has left London, but it hasn’t gone

The Anglo-Dutch giant is now just a Dutch giant, but the UK retains the bulk of corporate jobs.

It could be Rotterdam, or anywhere, Liverpool or… no wait, it’s Rotterdam. After months of debate, Unilever has chosen the Dutch city as its sole global headquarters, over London.

The consumer goods behemoth has had a dual structure ever since the merger of Lever Brothers and Margarine Unie in 1929, with Unilever Plc in London and Unilever NV in Rotterdam.

Now there will be a single legal entity in Holland, with three divisions. Beauty & Personal Care and Home Care will be based in London, while Food & Refreshment will be based in Rotterdam.

The changes, which the company calls ‘Building the Unilever of the Future’, won’t involve moving jobs – the UK will continue to have 7,300 and Holland 3,100. It also won’t affect the stock’s triple listing in London, Amsterdam and New York.

Find out more here.