Reckitt Benckiser sees Harpic’s reach deepen in India

Toilet cleaner Harpic deepened its reach in India with 20 million more households using the blue bleach than a year-ago, as British multinational Reckitt Benckiser continued to benefit from home hygiene products sales amid the covid-19 pandemic.

“In the first nine months we have made good progress; for example, in the US our hygiene products are now used in over 50% of households compared to less than 45% a year-ago; in India, we have seen a continued increase in the penetration of Harpic following behaviour change campaigns, with over 20 million more households using the brand compared to last year,” the company said in its third-quarter earnings statement on Tuesday.

India is already the biggest market for Harpic, and last quarter it reported that soap brand Dettol was the number one in market share in India.

The company announced market share gains for its condom brand Durex in India and China. It reported strong demand for Dettol and Lyson globally. “Durex has gained share in both China and India, key emerging markets for the business.”

Reckitt Benckiser’s health and hygiene brands Dettol, Lysol, Finish and Harpic have benefitted from a surge in covid cases worldwide that has altered consumer behaviour and pushed more buyers in markets like India to adopt frequent cleaning practices.

Globally, it reported 13.3% jump in like-for-like sales (excluding foreign exchange fluctuations) led by greater demand in its home and personal cleaning products. In developing markets, its third quarter revenue grew by 10.1% on a like-for-like basis as a result of strong growth in Dettol and Lysol, offset in part by a fall in Enfamil in Hong Kong.

The company said its India business performed very well. “I think our business in India continues to perform very well and we are pleased with the progress that the team is making, and the strength of some of our brands in India and the ability for them to navigate what is a complex operational environment is something we feel very good about…,” Laxman Narasimhan, the company’s chief executive officer, said in the post-earnings call.