Clorox said first quarter sales rose 4% and diluted net earnings rose 3% from continuing operations. Clorox delivered earnings from continuing operations of $179 million.


The company’s cleaning operations—its laundry, home care and professional products—reported 7% sales growth. Clorox said volume growth was driven largely by gains in home care, particularly record shipments of Clorox disinfecting wipes behind expanded club-channel distribution and increased merchandising support for the back-to-school season. Record shipments across a number of Clorox-branded products, including toilet bowl cleaners and disinfecting spray, also contributed to segment volume results. Professional products also contributed to increases, reflecting strong gains across cleaning brands. 


Clorox’s lifestyle segment, which includes its natural personal care operations as well as food and water filtration, recorded 2% sales growth. Segment volume growth was driven primarily by gains in personal care behind innovation in Burt’s Bees lipcolor products.


“I’m very pleased about our solid start to the fiscal year, as investments behind our 2020 Strategy, including product innovation, resulted in continued strong topline growth,” said Clorox chairman and CEO Benno Dorer. “Notably, we grew volume in all US and international segments. We also delivered these results on top of strong topline growth in the year-ago quarter.”


Clorox’s international unit saw a 4% volume increase with flat sales. Segment volume results were driven primarily by gains in Canada, reflecting base business growth and the benefit of the RenewLife acquisition, as well as growth in the Burt’s Bees business in Asia, partially offset by decreases in select Latin America countries, notably Argentina.