Increased focus on rural India and wider distribution have contributed to the earnings of fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies, including big players like Hindustan Unilever (HUL), Dabur India and Colgate Palmolive (India). They reported strong sales despite a slowdown in demand in urban India owing to factors such as rupee depreciation, inflation and monsoon. HUL reported a 9%volume growth, Dabur reported 12%, while Colgate posted 11% volume growth which reflected a steady consumer demand of daily necessities like toilet soaps, shampoos and toothpastes.

Home and personal care growth for HUL stood at 20.6%. On the other hand, Colgate saw not just a sales rise of 20%, but also an increased market share in toothpastes and toothbrushes.  Chief Financial Officer of HUL, R. Sridhar said that while the June quarter has seen a double-digit growth, both in urban and rural India, and largely led by price increases in the soaps and detergents category, the next 2-3 quarters might pose some challenges, depending on how the monsoon, rupee depreciation and inflation turn out.

During the quarter which ended in June, HUL’s total income increased almost 20%. Harish Manwani, Chairman of HUL attributed the company’s performance to rural focus. He added that the Indian rural market was expected to grow to a $100 billion opportunity for retail spending by 2025.

Dabur’s net profit for the first quarter marked a 16.9% surge, while Colgate grew by 17%.

At the 12^th Asia Surfactants Personal & Home Care Markets on 04-05 September in Shanghai key experts will share a detailed overview of the growth, challenges, market trends and other aspects of not just India but Asia’s personal and home care sector. Register here to gain the latest industry updates. Or forward your enquiries to Ms. Grace at grace@cmtsp.com.sg   

Source: Dnaindia.com

In an effort to boost its output in toiletries and cleaning products, cosmetics manufacturer Kao is constructing a new surfactant production facility in the Jinshan district of Shanghai, China. With an estimated investment of approximately five billion yen (€51m), the new plant is scheduled to begin operation in 2014. It will produce surfactants which are used as raw materials for cosmetics and toiletries, industrial-use cleaners and molding materials.

Furthermore, Kao also announced that its Indonesia Chemicals division will build a new plant at Karawan International Industry City (KIIC), located in the suburbs of Jakarta, Indonesia. This facility which aims to meet the growing demand in Asia, and double the area of the current production site is estimated to cost 4bn yen (€39m) initially. It is planned to be completed by the end of 2014.

Reduction of CO₂ emissions will be promoted at the new facility. According to Kao, it is striving to contribute to reducing its burden onthe environment. It intends to recycle resources as well as provide products that can contribute to reduced CO₂ emission in the industrial sector.

Given the growing demand in Asia’s personal care market, CMT’s 12^th Asia Surfactants Personal & Home Care Markets in Shanghai on 04-05 September is a vital timely gathering of industry experts sharing comprehensive overview of the rapidly expanding Asian home and personal care business. Register here to attend the conference or contact Ms. Grace at grace@cmtsp.com.sg for enquiries.

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A wind of transformation awaits the Indian household and personal care segment in the coming years, as global FMCG companies give importance to India. A change in lifestyle and rising disposable income among the middle class has fuelled consumption habits to align with global trends.

“It is time to look beyond fairness cream and hair oils”, says global research firm Macquarie, as Indian consumers would start to look for more than “fairness” in their personal care. The report noted that categories of significant market sizes such as soaps, detergents, oral care, hair oil and shampoo have either reached maturity or is fast-approaching it. As consumers switch to hair styling gel, deodorants, hair colour and toothpaste, traditional categories like hair oil, talcum powder, hair dye and tooth powder will face medium to long term growth challenges.

By 2020, L’Oreal aims for around 1billion euro sales in India. By 2016 Reckitt’s goal is to make India its largest global sales contributor, while P&G targets an increase in product categories in India in 2015/16 to 25, from 15 in 2011.

Domestic players will have to offer innovative new products or acquire brands to enter low penetration categories or venture into international markets as competition from global players increase. Indian players could also gain from penetration-driven growth by foraying into international markets like Africa and the less developed countries in Asia.  Macquarie said, "Companies like Dabur, Godrej Consumer, Marico and Emami have either acquired companies in these regions or have increased their own presence.”

In-depth examination of personal care and home care market trend in Asian countries in particular India, Thailand, Japan, China, Indonesia and Korea is what the 12^th Asia Surfactants Personal & Home Care Markets to be held on 04-05 September in Shanghai will spotlight on. Designed also to explore end-users' expectations for surfactants and views on challenges ahead, the conference final topics and speakers details are currently being finalised. Nonetheless, Pre-Registrationto reserve seats for the event and enquiries on the agenda are welcomed and may be forwarded to grace@cmtsp.com.sg

Extracted from The Economic Times.

According to the market research institute, Ceresana Research, the global surfactant market is expected to generate revenues of more than $41 Billion in 2018, translating to an average annual growth of 4.5%. The prime share of global consumption is from the Asia-Pacific, the largest surfactant outlet, with approximately 37%. Ceresana has forecasted a 4.3% growth in consumption in the Asia-Pacific body-care and cosmetic market.

Roughly 85% of the global surfactant demand was accounted for by anionic and non-ionic surfactants. “We expect non-ionic surfactants to register the strongest growth between 2010 and 2018,” said Oliver Kutsch, CEO of Ceresana. Until 2018, the demand for surfactants by manufacturers of household cleaners and detergents is projected to rise by 2.6% per year. He also added that the trend from soaps towards synthetic detergents was seen in Asia-Pacific, contrasting the stagnating or declining consumption in North America and Western Europe.

A comprehensive study of the Personal care and home care market trend in Asia and global surfactants market forecast is what the 12^th Asia Surfactants Personal & Home Care Markets conference seeks to provide when it meet in Shanghai on 04-05 September 2012.

Details on the topics and speakers for this program are currently being finalized.  To reserve seats, Pre-Register here or forward emails to grace@cmtsp.com.sg  for queries.

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