Sara Lee sees interest in European business
* Declines to name interested parties
* Sees pockets of softness in Spain and UK
* No deadline for naming new CFO
* Says consumer spending returning to a "different normal"
* Shares edge up
(Adds CEO quotes, byline)
NEW YORK, June 18 (Reuters) - Parties that may want to buy Sara Lee Corp's (SLE.N) international household and personal care business are examining the operations now, Sara Lee's chief executive said in an interview on Thursday.
Chairman and CEO Brenda Barnes declined to comment further on the sale process.
"We're keeping open to any possible outcomes. We're in the middle of the process of having people examine our business and take a look," Barnes said. "Right now, there's nothing new to report."
Sara Lee said in March that it was considering selling the unit, which includes the Sanex body wash and Ambi Pur air freshener lines, after receiving expressions of interest from suitors.
"We feel very good about the interest, and in the end we'll sell it if we get the right value for it. I won't comment on who's in the process at this point," she said.
Barnes also said Western Europe remains the company's "sensitive area right now" in terms of sales.
"We have a pocket of softness in Spain and the UK, primarily our air freshener business," she said, adding that the bread business in Spain is "undergoing some challenges in terms of consumer demand being a little bit soft."
"Across the board, though, our company is doing quite well," she said, noting that the U.S. business, which includes Jimmy Dean sausage and Sara Lee bread, is growing and increasing profitability and market share as the recession leads consumers to eat more meals at home. Continued...
