Unilever to buy Blueair air purifiers

LONDON (Reuters) - Unilever plans to buy Sweden's Blueair, stepping into the air purification business, the company said on Tuesday. Unilever, whose large brands include Dove soap, Lipton tea and Ben & Jerry's ice cream, has been very active on the acquisition front. Last month it announced a deal for Dollar Shave Club, following a string of smaller cosmetic and skin care deals including Dermalogica and Ren. Blueair is a leading maker of premium air purifiers in markets including China, the United States, Japan, South Korea and India. It had annual turnover of $106 million (82.1 million pounds) last year. Unilever said the purchase will complement its water purification business. It did not disclose financial details. (Reporting by Martinne Geller; Editing by Adrian Croft)