Unilever Home Care growth hits three year high as India leads gains

MUMBAI: Unilever’s cleaning act is paying off, and India is helping keep the shine on. The company’s Home Care business is gaining momentum after a two-year transformation, posting its strongest first-half performance in three years as India emerged as one of its key growth engines.

Home Care recorded 7.6 per cent underlying sales growth in the first half of 2026, with volumes rising 7.4 per cent. Momentum strengthened further in the second quarter, when underlying sales growth reached 9.1 per cent and volumes climbed 8.6 per cent.

The performance marks five consecutive quarters of accelerating growth, according to Unilever, with the business now seeing a more sustained improvement rather than a one-off bounce.

India was among the strongest performers, delivering double-digit growth in the first half. Brazil recorded high-single-digit growth, while India also reached its highest-ever Home Care market share, reinforcing its growing importance to Unilever’s portfolio.

The improvement follows a strategy reset launched in 2024, when Unilever shifted Home Care towards a smaller number of larger bets, putting more money behind its Power Brands while tightening execution and operational performance.

The overhaul has stretched beyond advertising and product launches, covering marketing, capital allocation, supply chain operations and talent, with the company also pushing for a more consumer-focused performance culture.

Edu Campanella, Home Care Business Group President, described the division as the clearest demonstration that Unilever’s strategy can work at scale.

A major change has been Unilever’s approach to innovation. Rather than relying mainly on incremental product improvements, the company is looking for innovations capable of creating new consumer demand and even new product occasions.

Wonder Wash, launched in 2024, is one such bet. Built around shorter laundry cycles and changing consumer habits, the product has since expanded to more than 40 markets.

Unilever is also scaling its Comfort Scent Boosters business as it targets the growing fabric-enhancer segment. Meanwhile, Cif Infinite Clean is positioned as a premium multi-purpose cleaning spray, combining stronger cleaning performance with longer-lasting benefits.

The broader strategy is to create fresh demand instead of simply fighting over existing consumption, a shift that could prove particularly important in markets where consumers are increasingly willing to trade up.

Unilever said the first-half performance was broad-based, with every geography, category, Power Brand and business unit contributing to growth.

India and Brazil stood out, with India recording double-digit expansion and reaching its highest-ever Home Care market share.

The opportunity is particularly significant because more than 80 per cent of Unilever’s Home Care business comes from developing and emerging markets. Rising living standards in these markets are increasing household consumption while also encouraging consumers to move towards premium products.

That combination of higher penetration and premiumisation gives India and similar markets a bigger role in the next phase of Home Care growth.

The transformation has also put greater emphasis on the machinery behind the brands. Unilever says it has strengthened its supply chain, tackled underperforming markets, improved in-store execution and built closer relationships with retailers across physical and online channels.

That resilience is now being tested by supply chain disruption linked to the Middle East crisis.

Campanella said the division’s ability to respond quickly, manage constraints and maintain momentum reflects the greater agility built into its operating model.

For Unilever, the bigger test now is whether the Home Care reset can keep delivering. With five quarters of accelerating growth, a 7.6 per cent first-half increase and India pushing into double-digit territory, the transformation is beginning to look less like a clean-up job and more like a growth engine.