Despite the corona crisis, Unilever has had a more than solid quarter. In particular, the company sold more products through supermarkets, compensating for the decline in sales in the out-of-home segment.
Disinfecting gels and ice creams
Unilever reported underlying sales growth of 4.4% in the third quarter. Nevertheless, currency effects severely hampered the FMCG giant as final sales decreased by 2.4% to 12.9 billion euros.
As a result of the corona crisis, home consumption was particularly buoyant. The demand for cleaning products and disinfecting gels remained very high. The Home Care division recorded the strongest progress with an underlying growth of 6.7%.
Home consumption was also the driving force behind the growth in the food segment. Ice cream brands Ben & Jerry’s and Magnum in particular benefited from rising demand. Tea sales also increased and Hellmann’s sauces showed remarkable growth – particularly the vegan variety. The food service sector was severely affected by the crisis and contracted by around 20%.
Geographically, the best results did not come from Europe. Underlying sales even fell slightly by 0.8%. Prices were also lower as a result of promotional campaigns.
