is considering selling some of its mass-market personal care brands, including Softsoap, Irish Spring and Speed Stick, as it plans to streamline the business and focus on its core portfolio, Reuters reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
The assets could collectively fetch more than $1 billion.
The consumer goods company is working with investment bank on the process, the sources said
Colgate’s broader personal care business also includes shower gels and skincare products. However, the company is currently looking to sell only a select group of brands rather than exit the category altogether, the sources said.
Colgate and Goldman Sachs declined to comment.
Consumer brand sector witnesses a shake-up
Currently, many consumer brands are reshaping their portfolios to better weather the storm of tariffs, financially pressured consumers, and higher costs for energy and other inputs, which are impacting their earnings. Offloading pieces of a broader portfolio also helps concentrate resources on core brands.
Earlier this year, Unilever agreed to sell its food business to McCormick for $45 billion. It also spun off its Magnum ice cream unit last year following the sale of more than 20 beauty and personal care brands to Yellow Wood Partners in 2024.
In August, Nestle agreed to sell its vitamins business to Yellow Wood for around $1 billion after divesting a stake in its waters and premium beverages business to another buyout firm, Platinum Equity.
New York-based Colgate has a market capitalisation of roughly $70 billion, and its stock is up around 11% year to date, according to data provider LSEG. In its most recent quarterly earnings, net sales rose 4.9%. Organic sales in its North American market, however, fell 3%.
Colgate CEO Noel Wallace told the consumer conference this week that it was facing intensifying competition in North America and getting the business where it needs to be would involve a “long-term turnaround”.
Colgate’s entire personal care unit, which includes both mass and prestige brands, accounted for 17% of net sales in 2025, implying around $3.5 billion of net sales.
Its largest segment is oral care, which includes its namesake Colgate toothpaste brand and accounted for almost half of net sales. Its other segments are home care and pet nutrition.
(With inputs from Reuters)