Unilever: Ice cream inside, personal hygiene outside in the running of the bulls

People who work from home have been eating more ice cream but neglecting their grooming habits, suggested consumer goods giant Unilever.

The firm said ice cream sales increased 26% in the three months through June, but demand for shampoo and deodorant fell.

He said he had seen strong “growth in domestic consumption of food, ice cream and tea” during the shutdown.

But there were “fewer occasions for self-care for going to work or socializing.”

However, he said sales of some cleaning products, such as hand sanitizer, skyrocketed as people stepped up efforts to fight Covid-19.

The firm’s Magnum and Ben and Jerry brands benefited the most, as people bought more ice cream to eat at home.

The company, which makes Lynx and Dove deodorant soap, had warned of declining personal care sales in its latest commercial update in April.

He said that as more people worked from home, they washed their hair less frequently, postponed shaving, and even abandoned deodorant.

Four months later, she said personal care sales had continued to drop.

But he reported increased demand for household cleaning products, such as Cif and Domestos surface cleaners, which campaigned to educate consumers about selective cleaning of high-contact surfaces in the home to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus. .

Resilient business

Unilever, which owns brands like Marmite and PG Tips tea, posted a 4% rise in first-half pre-tax profit to € 4.5 billion (£ 3.5 billion) after people stocked toilet paper rolls and other consumer goods at the beginning of the coronavirus crisis.

“In North America and parts of Europe, there was a positive impact on household stocks in March,” he said.

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“Consumption patterns then normalized in the second quarter with high levels of demand for hygiene and food products in the home.”

Chief Alan Jope said the results “demonstrated the resilience of the business,” as demand from the hotel industry for its products plummeted after hotels, restaurants, cafes and bars closed.

But with people buying more food to eat at home, the company experienced double-digit growth in its food retail business, with Knorr soups and Hellmann’s sauces performing strongly.

Unilever also confirmed plans to spin off its tea business, which includes other domestic brands like Lipton and Brooke Bond.

He said he would retain his tea businesses in India and Indonesia and his association interests in ready-to-drink tea joint ventures.

“The balance of Unilever’s tea brands and geographies and all tea farms have an exciting future, and this potential can best be achieved as a separate entity,” he said.

“Now a process will begin to implement the separation, which is expected to conclude in late 2021.”