Unilever experiences Q4 drop in sales
Multinational consumer goods giant Unilever has announced a 4.8% drop in its Q4 sales, falling short of industry forecasts.
Multinational consumer goods giant Unilever has announced a 4.8% drop in its Q4 sales, falling short of industry forecasts.
Sales reached €9.66bn in the final three months of 2009, falling just short of the predicted €9.8bn. The company also predicted more troubles in the coming year with tough competition and consumer spending restraints being two of the biggest threats to sales.
Net profits also took a hit of 24% in the fourth quarter, down to €906m. However, underlying sales growth for the quarter showed some promise, up 1.8% to €9.659m at constant exchange rates, excluding the effects of acquisitions and disposals. Personal care proved a positive sector for the company with a rise of 6.5% to €3.01m in Q4. This rise was helped in part by the success of the Dove Go Fresh range.