Unilever has partnered with Co-op and FareShare to donate a range of products across its homecare, personal care and food portfolios to support local communities amid rising costs in the UK.
From 14 June to 11 July, Unilever will donate one product to FareShare’s network for every two selected Unilever products purchased from the Co-op.
To increase awareness of the donation campaign at the convenience retailer, gondola ends will feature in more than 340 stores displaying the homecare and personal care products such as Dove, Comfort, Sure, Simple and Persil.
A further 60 gondola ends will include food products from consumer goods company Unilever, such as Pot Noodle and Hellmann’s – with the donation tagline ‘Buy any 2, we donate 1 to FareShare’.
“To be partnering with Co-op and FareShare on this significant campaign is really important to us, so that we can help the most vulnerable in local communities across the UK,” general manager of foods UK&I for Unilever, Andre Burger said.
“Our product donations, combined with FareShare’s re-distribution network and Co-op’s in-store activation, will make a real difference and ensure that more people have access to essential food, personal care and household items.”
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Commercial Director at the Co-op, Sinead Bell commented: “Co-op is proud to have worked in partnership with FareShare for the past 10 years to help increase access to food for those who need it the most.
Director of fundraising at FareShare, Shabnam Amini also offered her thoughts, she said: “The cost of living crisis has had a devastating impact on people already struggling to make ends meet.
According to her, this means that many people have to choose between food and hygiene products.
Over two thirds of consumers are switching to cheaper brands, and more than half are ditching brands for supermarket own-label products in a bid to save cash amid the cost-of-living crisis, according to a survey by retail app and promotions business Shopmium.
Amini added: “In the ten years we’ve been working with Co-op they understand how much further their surplus food can go through our network of 8,500 charities across the UK, and we’re incredibly grateful that they are also providing us with personal care products to help people who need it most, so that they don’t have to choose between these essential items.”
In April, Unilever reported a 10.5% rise in underlying sales to £13.1bn.
