08.02.21
United Kingdom
www.reckitt.com
Sales: $7.4 billion
Key personnel
Laxman Narasimhan, chief executive officer; Jeff Carr, chief financial officer; Kris Licht, president, health and chief customer officer; Aditya Sehgal, president, nutrition, eRB and Greater China; Ranjay Radhakrishnan, chief human resources officer; Miguel Veiga-Pestana, head of corporate affairs and chief sustainability officer; Sami Naffakh, chief supply officer; Voker Kuhn, president, hygiene; Angela Naef, chief R&D officer; Filippo Catalano, chief information and digitization officer; Rupert Bondy, general counsel and company secretary
Major products
Household and personal care products. Brands include Vanish, Calgon, Woolite, Lysol, Dettol, Cillit Bang, Harpic, Air Wick, Mortein, Dettol, Veet and Clearasil
New products
Queen V (acquisition), Air Wick Essential Mist
This summer, Lysol joined the Ad Council and COVID Collaborative to increase vaccine awareness through the “It’s Up To You” campaign. The Reckitt-owned brand supported the program when local artists created public murals designed to promote vaccine education. Murals have QR codes that link to GetVaccineAnswers.org.
Comments: Corporate and hygiene division sales reached record levels in 2020. Developed markets accounting for 79% of sales and emerging markets 21%. Reckitt executives insist the company is well-positioned to take advantage of five megatrends, urbanization and global warming, growing demand for self-care, sexual health crisis, growing and aging population, and technology proliferation.
Last year, Reckitt’s hygiene sales increased 15.6%. With consumers around the world staying home during the pandemic, demand for Lysol and Finish soared. Lysol sales rose 70% on the year, due primarily to gains in North America. Sales of Finish rose more than 20%, with particularly strong performances in the US and UK. Air Wick also delivered good growth in the year, after a slow start, led by the US and Europe, in part reflecting the successful launch of Air Wick Essential Mist and robust sales within the base scented oils business. Mortein and Harpic also delivered growth in all their major geographies, with Harpic particularly strong in India. Cillit Bang delivered double digit gains in 2020. In fact, among its power brands, only Vanish’s sales declined. Reckitt blamed it on “stay at home” behavior, which reduced demand for stain removal.
Reckitt proudly notes that more people are using its products than ever before. For example, Lysol is used in more than 100 million households around the world and Harpic can be found in over 100 million households in India alone.
The company pegs the global hygiene market at about $90 billion, with surface, dish and fabric care together accounting for 70% of the market. According to Reckitt, the global hygiene market is growing 4-5% a year. The company predicts that infection transmission will grow as populations move around the world, creating megacities. Further, Reckitt noted climate change is linked to infection and disease. It said deforestation is thought to be the cause of 33% of new and emerging outbreaks such as Ebola and Zika.
Last year, Reckitt created Global Business Solutions in response to the growing need for germ protection outside the home. The initiative was well received as GBS formed partnerships with AirBnB, British Airways, Delta Airlines, Hilton and Uber.
In other moves, at the start of the pandemic, Reckitt launched COVID-9facts.com to provide accurate and credible information to counter myths that gained traction on social media platforms. The Dettol #HandWash Challenge began in India in April 2020. By the end of the year, it had more than 125 billion views on TikTok.
About a year ago, Reckitt invested $25 million in the Global Hygiene Institute. CEO Laxman Narasimhan noted that the pandemic pushed public health to the top of the global agenda.
“We see the need for a new paradigm that brings together the highest quality scientific based evidence and informed public health recommendations to generate large-scale behavior change for a cleaner, healthier world,” he explained.
By the end of the year, 12% of Reckitt’s global sales came through e-commerce.
At the start of 2021, Reckitt acquired Queen V, a feminine wellness brand that markets a range of pH-balanced, better-for-you products that are easy-to-use, and accessible to women everywhere.
Also in January, RB invested in Bombay Shaving Company, India. BSC’s portfolio includes more than 100 products in the shaving, bath and body, skin and beard category.
For the first quarter of 2021, corporate sales fell 1.1%.
www.reckitt.com
Sales: $7.4 billion
Key personnel
Laxman Narasimhan, chief executive officer; Jeff Carr, chief financial officer; Kris Licht, president, health and chief customer officer; Aditya Sehgal, president, nutrition, eRB and Greater China; Ranjay Radhakrishnan, chief human resources officer; Miguel Veiga-Pestana, head of corporate affairs and chief sustainability officer; Sami Naffakh, chief supply officer; Voker Kuhn, president, hygiene; Angela Naef, chief R&D officer; Filippo Catalano, chief information and digitization officer; Rupert Bondy, general counsel and company secretary
Major products
Household and personal care products. Brands include Vanish, Calgon, Woolite, Lysol, Dettol, Cillit Bang, Harpic, Air Wick, Mortein, Dettol, Veet and Clearasil
New products
Queen V (acquisition), Air Wick Essential Mist
This summer, Lysol joined the Ad Council and COVID Collaborative to increase vaccine awareness through the “It’s Up To You” campaign. The Reckitt-owned brand supported the program when local artists created public murals designed to promote vaccine education. Murals have QR codes that link to GetVaccineAnswers.org.
Last year, Reckitt’s hygiene sales increased 15.6%. With consumers around the world staying home during the pandemic, demand for Lysol and Finish soared. Lysol sales rose 70% on the year, due primarily to gains in North America. Sales of Finish rose more than 20%, with particularly strong performances in the US and UK. Air Wick also delivered good growth in the year, after a slow start, led by the US and Europe, in part reflecting the successful launch of Air Wick Essential Mist and robust sales within the base scented oils business. Mortein and Harpic also delivered growth in all their major geographies, with Harpic particularly strong in India. Cillit Bang delivered double digit gains in 2020. In fact, among its power brands, only Vanish’s sales declined. Reckitt blamed it on “stay at home” behavior, which reduced demand for stain removal.
Reckitt proudly notes that more people are using its products than ever before. For example, Lysol is used in more than 100 million households around the world and Harpic can be found in over 100 million households in India alone.
The company pegs the global hygiene market at about $90 billion, with surface, dish and fabric care together accounting for 70% of the market. According to Reckitt, the global hygiene market is growing 4-5% a year. The company predicts that infection transmission will grow as populations move around the world, creating megacities. Further, Reckitt noted climate change is linked to infection and disease. It said deforestation is thought to be the cause of 33% of new and emerging outbreaks such as Ebola and Zika.
Last year, Reckitt created Global Business Solutions in response to the growing need for germ protection outside the home. The initiative was well received as GBS formed partnerships with AirBnB, British Airways, Delta Airlines, Hilton and Uber.
In other moves, at the start of the pandemic, Reckitt launched COVID-9facts.com to provide accurate and credible information to counter myths that gained traction on social media platforms. The Dettol #HandWash Challenge began in India in April 2020. By the end of the year, it had more than 125 billion views on TikTok.
About a year ago, Reckitt invested $25 million in the Global Hygiene Institute. CEO Laxman Narasimhan noted that the pandemic pushed public health to the top of the global agenda.
“We see the need for a new paradigm that brings together the highest quality scientific based evidence and informed public health recommendations to generate large-scale behavior change for a cleaner, healthier world,” he explained.
By the end of the year, 12% of Reckitt’s global sales came through e-commerce.
At the start of 2021, Reckitt acquired Queen V, a feminine wellness brand that markets a range of pH-balanced, better-for-you products that are easy-to-use, and accessible to women everywhere.
Also in January, RB invested in Bombay Shaving Company, India. BSC’s portfolio includes more than 100 products in the shaving, bath and body, skin and beard category.
For the first quarter of 2021, corporate sales fell 1.1%.
