UK 300: top consumer goods (manufacturing and marketing) employers
…as voted for by students and graduates
The UK 300 features the most comprehensive annual survey of student opinion on graduate careers, employers and their own job hunts; more than 71,000 students and graduates took part. The survey determines not only the most popular 300 graduate employers in the UK overall, but also the most popular graduate employers in a range of career sectors, including in consumer goods.
The top graduate employers in consumer goods are listed in the table below. Many of the employers haven’t changed position this year, but Unilever has been knocked off the top spot by GSK, which rose eight spaces. The new entrant this year, just climbing into the top ten, is Kraft Heinz, responsible for over 200 food brands.
Students interested in employers in this sector…
- are more likely to engage with their careers service than the average student in our survey: for example, 70% had used the careers service website, compared to 62%, and 40% had made an appointment compared to 35%
- are more likely to have undertaken an internship and a placement year than the average student by their final year: in our survey 43% of finalists interested in this sector had done an internship, compared to a 39% average, and 21% had done a placement year compared to an 18% average
- are likely to be focused on their career progression: 73% ranked ‘good career prospects’ and 68% ‘training and development’ as ‘very important’ factors when choosing an employer (compared to a 69% and 65% average respectively).
NB: Percentages have been rounded.

Unilever
Last year: 1
Consumer goods and FMCG

Johnson & Johnson
Last year: 5
Consumer goods and FMCG, Engineering, Healthcare

Mars
Last year: 7
Consumer goods and FMCG

Nestlé UK & Ireland
Last year: 8
Consumer goods and FMCG

Diageo Plc
Last year: 10
Consumer goods and FMCG, Sales
Consumer goods and FMCG
View related sector lists: UK 300: top media and advertising employers