info@indiafashionicon.com
Publisher
इस खबर को सुनने के लिये प्ले बटन को दबाएं।
UK consumer products giant Unilever reported stronger-than-expected sales late last year, driven in large part by robust demand for its beauty and personal care brands — with Dove emerging as a standout contributor — and improving conditions in key emerging markets such as India and China.
Unilever’s latest quarterly figures showed a 4.2% increase in underlying sales growth for the fourth quarter of 2025, ahead of analyst forecasts, despite softer economic conditions in parts of the US and Europe. Growth in Asia Pacific, especially India and China, helped offset sluggishness in developed economies.
Analysts pointed to strong performances in the beauty and personal care segments, where brands like Dove and Vaseline posted notable gains in consumer demand. Emerging economies, buoyed by broader consumer spending on personal care products, delivered some of the highest sales growth for the company.
In India, Unilever’s local unit maintained year-on-year sales growth of around 4%, led by higher sales volumes even as profit margins were squeezed by competitive pricing and increased costs. Some of this growth was attributed to strong beauty and personal care categories, including Dove, Closeup and Pears.
China also contributed to the stronger sales trend after earlier periods of weakness, as the business benefited from strategic adjustments in distribution and marketing that helped attract consumers back to Unilever’s product lines.
Despite this positive momentum, Unilever has tempered its outlook for full-year 2026 sales growth, projecting it to fall at the lower end of its 4–6% target range amid ongoing challenges in developed markets.
The company’s performance underscores the growing importance of emerging markets like India and China to its global strategy, particularly for beauty and personal care — segments expected to remain core drivers of future sales growth.
DEeepika
