Unilever has announced its financial results for FY 2019.
According to the company, FY 2019 turnover increased by 2% and underlying sales growth was 2.9%.
In its Beauty & Personal Care segment, Unilever saw underlying sales grow by 2.6%.
According to Unilever:
- Deodorants delivered broad-based growth, supported by double-digit growth from Dove and good performance from the Rexona Clinical range.
- Growth in skin cleansing was held back by price reductions as a result of lower commodity costs. Dove’s growth was supported by microbiome-friendly innovations.
- Growth was weak in hair care with high competitive intensity in the growth hotspot of the U.S. In China, there was continued pressure from local players.
- In skin care, Pond’s and Vaseline continued to perform well, with on-trend innovations such as Pond’s Glow Up cream.
- Prestige brands continued to deliver double-digit growth, with strong performances from brands such as Dermalogica, Hourglass and Living Proof. Unilever also mentioned the 2019 acquisitions of Garancia and Tatcha.
CEO Alan Jope said, "We are now stepping up execution against our fundamental drivers of growth. These are to increase penetration by improving brand awareness and availability; implement a more impactful innovation program; improve our performance in faster-growing channels; drive purpose into all our brands; and fuel growth through cost savings."
