The International Top 30

Long live Rock!!? The Foo Fighters canceled a concert in Los Angeles last month after a team member tested positive for COVID-19. The announcement underscores what the US Centers for Disease Control has been repeating for weeks: the pandemic isn’t over. It’s certainly not over for India and Brazil, the second and sixth most populous countries in the world.

In June, Brazil registered a single-day record of 115,228 new confirmed coronavirus cases. Last month, India warned that a third wave of COVID-19 is inevitable as travel restrictions ease. Both countries are critical markets for companies in The International Top 30, Happi’s list of the biggest players in the global household and personal products industry. Once again, Brazil and India are well-represented in The International Top 30. From Brazil, Natura is ranked No. 7 and Boticario is ranked No. 25. Meanwhile Godrej Consumer Products of India comes in at No. 22.

China was the first country hit by the pandemic, so it makes sense for it to be the first to emerge from it. As a result, for the first time in the history of The International Top 30, we have two Chinese companies on our list: Shanghai Jahwa (No. 26) and Yatsen (No. 30). Happi readers will be familiar with all of the International Top 30 leaders. Once again, Unilever is No. 1, followed by L’Oréal, Henkel, Kao and Shiseido.

But regardless of where The International Top 30 companies are headquartered, every one of them was impacted by the pandemic in 2020. At the same time, nearly all of them reported improving conditions by the fourth quarter and through the first quarter of 2021. What was driving sales? Lifting of lockdowns, masks coming off and consumer optimism returning. In the first half of 2020, few categories were more hard-hit than professional hair care, but salon suppliers and their customers are a resilient lot. At the same time, through Q2 2021, demand picked up for traditional cosmetics. Here’s hoping that by the end of the year, household and personal product executives around the world are humming a happy tune—even if they can’t attend their favorite rock concerts or sporting events as much as they’d like.

We hope you enjoy this edition of The International Top 30. Remember to visit Happi.com or pick up our July issue to see how Procter & Gamble, Estée Lauder, Colgate-Palmolive and the rest of the US-based companies compare to our International Top 30 list.