Unilever has kicked off 2025 with encouraging progress, reporting a 3% rise in underlying sales for the first quarter compared to the same period last year. Key brands, such as Dove, demonstrated strong performance, with sales climbing more than 8%. However, the company faced a slight dip in turnover, down 0.9% to €14.8 billion, influenced by net disposals and currency fluctuations.
The first quarter update comes under the leadership of the newly appointed CEO, Fernando Fernandez, who assumed his role in February following Unilever’s unexpected change in management. Fernandez is steering the company through a comprehensive turnaround plan, which includes workforce restructuring and spinning off Unilever’s ice-cream division. The new ice-cream business, set to operate under the name Magnum, is expected to function as a standalone entity by summer and will be listed on major exchanges in Amsterdam, London, and New York.
Unilever continues to face challenges such as input cost pressures, evolving consumer preferences, and broader economic uncertainty. Despite these hurdles, the company has reaffirmed its outlook for the year, targeting sales growth between 3%-5% and a modest improvement in its operating margin from the previous year’s figure of 18.4%.