Brands
Colgate-Palmolive weighs sale of Softsoap, Irish Spring and Speed Stick
Goldman Sachs is advising on a potential divestment that could fetch more than $1 billion
MUMBAI: Colgate-Palmolive could be washing its hands of some familiar names. The consumer goods giant is weighing the sale of mass-market personal care brands including Softsoap, Irish Spring and Speed Stick, people familiar with the matter told Reuters.
The company is working with Goldman Sachs on a potential divestment, according to the sources, who requested anonymity because the discussions are private. The brands under consideration could collectively fetch more than $1 billion.
The review covers only part of Colgate-Palmolive’s personal care portfolio, rather than the entire business. The division spans deodorants, bar and liquid soaps, shower gels and skincare products across mass-market and prestige categories.
The potential sale comes as consumer goods giants sharpen their portfolios and concentrate investment on brands they consider core. Tariffs, softer consumer spending and higher energy and input costs have added pressure, prompting companies to look for ways to simplify operations and unlock cash.
Unilever, for instance, has agreed to sell its food business to McCormick for $45 billion this year and spun off its Magnum ice cream business last year. In 2024, it also sold more than 20 beauty and personal care brands to Yellow Wood Partners.
Nestle has followed a similar path, agreeing this month to sell its vitamins business to Yellow Wood for about $1 billion after selling a stake in its waters and premium beverages business to Platinum Equity.
For Colgate-Palmolive, the portfolio review comes as competition in its biggest North American market intensifies. The company has a market value of about $70 billion, while its shares have risen around 11 per cent this year, according to LSEG data.
Its latest quarterly results showed net sales rising 4.9 per cent, but organic sales in North America fell 3 per cent. Chief Executive Noel Wallace said at the Barclays consumer conference this week that competition in the region was becoming more intense and that improving the business would require a “long-term turnaround”.
Personal care contributed 17 per cent of Colgate-Palmolive’s net sales in 2025, generating about $3.5 billion. Oral care remains the company’s largest business, accounting for almost half of total sales, while the group also operates in home care and pet nutrition.
If completed, the proposed divestment would therefore represent a relatively small slice of Colgate-Palmolive’s overall business but potentially a sizeable reshuffle of the bathroom shelf. For now, the sale remains under consideration and no final decision has been announced.
