Unilever sales flat in Europe
PG Tips to Persil consumer goods giant Unilever today showed the UK and Western Europe trailing behind emerging markets as the sluggish economic climate hits sales.
The group, which owns brands ranging from Magnum ice creams, Dove soap and Domestos bleach, said underlying sales volumes in Western Europe edged up 0.2 per cent in the first half of the year compared to 5 per cent in Asia and Africa.
Elsewhere, the group said its margins were down 0.2 per cent as it battled to offset increasing raw material costs with pricing and savings. Prices in western Europe were up by 1.1 per cent, compared with 5 per cent in its Americas region.
The group reported a 9 per cent increase in pre-tax profits in the six months to June to £3.2bn as turnover increased 4 per cent to £22.8bn.