COVID-hit products to rebound, says HUL

In an investor presentation, the company also said categories such as skin care and colour cosmetics, which slowed down last year will also rebound. “These categories remain structurally attractive for us,” HUL said. On the other hand, it said “COVID obsessive” categories such as hand sanitisers and hand wash which saw a sharp surge during the pandemic are also expected to normalise this year. Hand sanitiser category surged 16 times in 2020 compared to 2019, while the hand wash category grew 1.5 times last year. From a peak decline of 73 per cent in the second quarter of the calendar year 2020 during the lockdown these have recovered, with the gradual unlocking that the country went through, to a decline of 51 pc in the Q3 and 30 pc in the Q4 in line with improving mobility, it added. 

HUL said its COVID relevant categories such as dishwasher, tea, toothpaste and shampoo are back to pre-COVID levels and expect to sustain in 2021.