Unilever Annual Report & Accounts and Form 20-F 2000

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Unilever Annual Report & Accounts and Form 20-F 2000 About Unilever 6 Bestfoods’ Lesieur range of mayonnaise products in France. The sale is conditional on approval by the European Commission Mergers Task Force and subject to consultative procedures before completion. The businesses are being divested as a result of undertakings given to the European Commission in connection with the acquisition of Bestfoods which was completed in October 2000. Home & Personal Care Home care and professional cleaning We are one of the global leaders in the domestic and professional home care markets. In the home care sector our products have been developed to meet the diverse requirements of consumers to clean and care for their homes and clothes. In laundry, they include tablets for convenience, traditional powders and liquids for soaking, washing by hand and by machine. In developing and emerging markets, soap bars are available for lower income consumers. In household care our products are designed to tackle most cleaning and hygiene needs around the home. Our home care brands are available in over 100 countries, many of them holding leading market positions. Our most international home care brands include Omo, Surf, Skip, all, Comfort, Wisk, Cif, Domestos and, in the UK, Persil. DiverseyLever provides cleaning and hygiene products and services to customers in over 60 countries. The business holds leading positions in major sectors such as hospitality, foodservice, health care and food and beverage production. Personal Care We are the world leader in skin cleansing, deodorants and anti-perspirants. In skin cleansing our most international brands include Lux, Dove and Lifebuoy. Report of the Directors Rexona, Impulse and Degree are the key brands in deodorants and anti-perspirants while Axe/Lynx is the leading international brand in the male personal care range. We have important market shares in toothpastes, skin care and hair products in many countries. Toothpastes are sold widely under the Signal, Close-Up and Mentadent brands while in skin care Pond’s, Vaseline and Fair & Lovely are important internationally. Hair shampoos are available internationally under the Sunsilk, Seda, Organics and Timotei brands. We hold leading positions in North America where the key brands are Suave, ThermaSilk, Salon Selectives and Finesse. Our Prestige fragrances business is one of the world’s largest. We sell a number of fragrances under the Calvin Klein name. Brands include Obsession, Eternity and Escape while in recent years cK One and cK be have been introduced to appeal to the youth market. During 2000 we agreed to sell the Elizabeth Arden cosmetics business while retaining the Prestige designer fragrance brands Cerruti, Lagerfeld, Chloé and Valentino. These brands, together with Nautica, Vera Wang and BCBG fragrance, complete our extensive portfolio of Prestige fragrances. Other Operations To support our consumer brands, we own oil plantations in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Malaysia and tea plantations in India, Kenya and Tanzania.
Unilever Annual Report & Accounts and Form 20-F 2000 Report of the Directors Operating review - highlights Basis of reporting and discussion The commentary throughout this operating review is, unless otherwise indicated, based on the results of the Group including acquisitions made each year, at constant rates of exchange and before exceptional items and amortisation of goodwill and intangibles. Our accounting policies are based on United Kingdom generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and Netherlands GAAP which differ in certain respects from United States GAAP. The principal differences are described on page 99. We have shown reconciliations to the approximate net income and capital and reserves under US GAAP on page 98. Reporting currency and exchange rates From 1 January 2000, Unilever has adopted the euro as its principal reporting currency. For the years prior to the introduction of the euro in January 1999, euro values have been derived by converting values previously reported in guilders using the official conversion rate announced on 31 December 1998 of €1.00 = Fl. 2.20371. The effect of exchange fluctuations over time means that the trends shown may differ significantly from those previously shown in sterling and from those which would arise if these euro amounts had been translated from the historic sterling accounts. Foreign currency amounts for results and cash flows are translated from underlying local currencies into euros using annual average exchange rates; balance sheet amounts are translated at year-end rates except for the ordinary capital of the two parent companies. These are translated at the rate prescribed by the Equalisation Agreement of £1 = Fl. 12, and thence to euros at the official rate of €1.00 = Fl. 2.20371 (see Control of Unilever page 112). To eliminate the effect of exchange rate fluctuations in the following discussion, we have expressed certain of our key year-on-year comparisons at constant rates of exchange. This means using the annual average rates for the prior year. For each two-year period, the year-on-year comparisons in euros are the same as those which would arise if the results were shown in sterling or US dollars at constant exchange rates. Details of exchange rates used in preparation of these accounts and of the noon buying rates against the US dollar are given on page 96. Unilever Group 2000 results compared with 1999 Overall group turnover increased by 7% to €43 793 million. Of the increase, 5% related to the net impact of acquisitions and disposals in the year, and there was underlying volume growth of 2%, double the rate of growth achieved in 1999. Group operating profit, before exceptional items and amortisation of goodwill and intangibles, increased by 16% for the year. Of this increase, 7% related to the impact of acquisitions and the remainder reflects benefits arising from restructuring. Operating margins, before exceptional items and amortisation of goodwill and intangibles, were at an historic high of 12.1%. Operating profit decreased by 27% as a result of significant exceptional items and an increase in the amortisation charge of €363 million as a result of acquisitions in the year. Exceptional items On 22 February 2000 we announced a series of linked initiatives as part of a programme to accelerate growth and expand margins. These initiatives consist of focusing resources on our leading brands, rationalising certain manufacturing sites and re-organising or divesting underperforming businesses. The total programme is estimated to cost €5 billion, the majority of which is expected to be exceptional. Included in operating profit in 2000 was a €1.8 billion exceptional charge and €100 million of associated costs in relation to this programme, €1.1 billion relating to restructuring and €0.7 billion for other items, principally business disposals. The key disposals were the European bakery business, which gave rise to a profit of €149 million and the sale of Elizabeth Arden, completed in January 2001, which gave rise to the recognition of a loss of €742 million after writing back goodwill which was charged direct to shareholders’ funds on the acquisition of the business in 1989. Exceptional items also include approximately €100 million in relation to restructuring arising from the integration of Bestfoods. Details of movements in all restructuring provisions are given in note 19 on page 62. Under US GAAP, certain of the restructuring charges in each year would not have been recognised until certain additional criteria had been met, and would then have been included as a charge in subsequent years. Details of the US GAAP adjustments relating to the restructuring charges are given on page 98. Amortisation of goodwill and intangibles The amortisation charge increased by €363 million to €386 million as a result of the significant acquisitions made during the year. Of the charge for the year €266 million relates to Bestfoods. 7
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Unilever Annual Report & Accounts and Form 20-F 2000

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