Overhaul plan working: Unilever q3 sales growth rises, revenue up 4.5%

Unilever's sales growth is accelerating as chief executive officer Hein Schumacher's turnaround of the maker of Hellmann's mayonnaise gathers pace.

Revenue increased 4.5% in the third quarter, beating the 4.3% expected by analysts, the maker of soap and stock cubes said on Thursday. Consumers are buying more of its brands again with volumes up for the fourth consecutive quarter, it added.

The Magnum maker is in the middle of a shakeup, which includes a spinoff or sale of its ice cream business and a cost-cutting initiative that will shed 7,500 jobs globally. It said the separation of its ice-cream unit, which was the fastest-growing division in the quarter partly thanks to a slowdown last year, is still on track with the split expected to complete by the end of next year.


Emerging markets - which represent the majority of sales and have historically been Unilever's growth engine - performed poorly compared to the group overall with underlying sales growth of 2.9%. There was weakness in China, falling prices in India and operational challenges in Indonesia where shoppers have been boycotting western brands over the war in Gaza.