St. Tropez is for Sale

PZ Cussons is selling the St. Tropez brand, along with various Africa-based assets. 

In its latest trading statement (Q3), the company says that St. Tropez's performance has been "very strong" in the latest financial period.

However, PZ Cussons notes that continued growth will "be harder to realize under PZ Cussons' ownership, given the need to allocate resources across our diverse geographic and category footprint."

The company adds, "We therefore plan to realize shareholder value by initiating a process to sell the brand to an owner better placed to capture the brand's significant long‐term potential." 

The potential sale is in line with forecast increases in beauty industry M&A activity.

A recent Kearney report, "Beauty and personal care: resetting the stage for M&A," notes that 88% of the 130 senior investment professionals surveyed believe beauty and personal care M&A volume will rise over the next two years. Key drivers will be a consolidation of companies seeking external add-ons and synergies for existing brands/businesses."