Clorox is sick of being unnatural so it’s going to pay $925 million in cash for natural skin care products manufacturer Burt’s Bees.
From Forbes:
“The Burt’s Bees brand is well-anchored in sustainability and health and wellness, and we believe it will benefit from natural and “green” tailwinds,” said Clorox Chief Executive Donald R. Knauss. “It’s in an economically attractive category with a margin structure that will be highly accretive to Clorox.”
Burt’s Bees has a fairly rabid fan base, we wonder how they’ll react to new Clorox’s Bees.
Clorox To Buy Burt’s Bees [Forbes]
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Someone used too many ands
Why is it that every time a small, nice brand builds up enough of a customer base to make it an attractive national company they get bought out by the giants and everything that was good about them disappears. (Like fresh Samantha?)
I’m overgeneralizing and being pessimistic, I know, but I’ll be real surprised if we don’t see a steep drop in the quality of their products in the next 12 months.
Bah.
“Clorox’s Bees”? Too funny!
That is really awesome
Now all the hipsters will have to switch brands.
For shame!
I love Burt’s Bees products. They are wonderful and organic. In other hand I love clorox bleach, it makes my kitchen, bathroom and white clothes clean plus bacteria free (i just love the smell afterwards). But, I am not to sure about both brands being fuse together. Maybe the lipbalm will smell and [probably] taste as bleach (O.o)
reminds me of when unilever bought ben & jerrys
I think anything Burt’s Bees is like
totally awesome!
<] <} <)
@STR1CKEN — I’m still bitter about Fresh Samantha. Odwalla drinks are not the same. I like companies like Burts because they’re not part of some huge, most likely evil, corporate monolith. Hopefully the quality won’t change.
@novelgirl says:
Well I guess they are now, huh?
Burt’s Bleach?
@stinerman: Uh, it’s not just hipsters that use it. It’s an awesome brand (best lip balm I’ve ever used – the only one I’ve ever tried that actually works). This is disappointing news.
@serreca:
Not only hipsters use it, but hipsters only use it.
A company worth 925 million dollars is a big-ass company. So this is a case of a big-ass company buying another big ass company.
Meh.
If they can team up and create a hand cream that heals my hands after using bleach I will buy stock in them.
Burt’s Clorox or maybe Bleach Bees?
If they make a face cream we may all come out looking like Michael Jackson
This news upsets me. I boycott companies that test on animals, or are wickedly unfriendly to the environment. I love Burt’s Bees, and am very disappointed.
@DoctorVenkman: I’m upset too.
And I definitely don’t consider myself a hipster as stinerman says. Burt’s Bees just happens to make great products.
@serreca: I’m with you- HUGE fan of the face care line. I’m so pissed! This is worse than when Ben & Jerry’s was bought out by Unilever. (sp?)
I guess I should stock up on lipbalm now, before the formula gets changed.
Ugh. Not pleased.
Way back when I used to make that lip balm – and some of the other products – by hand. If only I could remember the exact recipe…
Ugh. I use lots of Burts Bees products. I won’t be now. I have done so because it is an easy way to get natural things like lip balm and hand cream. You could pick them up at Walgreens. I won’t be buying them anymore. If the food co-op doesn’t have another ready packaged alternative I will be hitting up my friends that make soap and stuff. Or start making things myself.
Time to start reverse engineering some of their products.
@str1cken: They don’t get bought out….they sell out.
I was under the impression that Burt’s bees was doing well enough that they wouldn’t need to sell out.
Bad news for tourism in Maine. Now Roxanne Quimby has more money to buy up land and close it off and kill more local economies.
You know, Clorox also owns Hidden Valley Ranch…
… and Brita water filters and Glad bags. I don’t see what the issue is.
@StuSchaff: It’s because you can no longer get a philosophy lagniappe with your lip balm. But you never really did; the company was always in business to make money, preferably lots.
Isn’t that the point of business? Maybe I missed something in school–I just don’t understand the cynicism around these kind of deals.
@StuSchaff:
Did you miss the points all the people above mentioned on the quality issue? I like Burt Bee’s products as well and I think I’m going to have to stock up now before Clorox ruins it.
This buyout proves its good form to buy from small, green companies who still care about customers and the environment. I buy my face cream from Avena Botanicals in Maine as they are still hand crafting all their products and their ingredients are organic.
First Loreal bought Kiehl’s, then Colgate bought Tom’s of Maine, now Clorox owns Burt’s Bees? Jeez, I’m worried that eventually (not immediately) we might be getting Clorox’s chemicals inside of Burt’s packaging. I think they will leave all the currrent Bees products alone, but my concern would be over new products.
And like when Estee Lauder bought Aveda and Reynolds bought American Spirit.
Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!
In all actuality, there is no evidence to suggest that Clorox will change anything or ruin the brand.
Burts Bees products still contain icky Lanolin. I’d rather not rub oily sheep sweat on my lips, thankyouverymuch.
Well…shit.
At least it’s not Proctor & Gamble.
Burt’s Bees used to be a small company years ago. I used to see him (the Burt) at the same small craft shows we used to go to. He got bought out quite a few years ago. The small company you’re pining for disappeared a while ago.
I was able to confirm that Burt’s Bees is not moving is manufacturing to any existing Clorox location. It will continue to be made in North Caroline. I find that encouraging at least.
Burt’s bees was a poorly run company. When I worked at a natural foods store they would constantly be out of stock on their most popular items due to “sourcing issues,” usually for their packaging. They also introduced and discontinued items frequently. Their products are mostly natural, but they aren’t organic. The clorox buy out will probably just mean tighter production and distribution
First off, Burt’s Bees is not Organic. (correcting a comment left by another person below) They are all natural. There is a difference. Organic means that the plants were grown without pesticides, etc. Burt’s Bees does not use all Organic ingredients and actually uses very little true organics.
Some of their products are not even 100% natural. They tell you that right on the label.
I write a blog and just wrote about BB. You may be surprised (or probably not) that Clorox could care less about the Burt’s customer base.
http://www.mintgreenlifestyle.blogspot.com
Thanks for your time.