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Demand for Reckitt's hygiene products slips from pandemic peak

Slipping demand for hygiene products and rising cost inflation has undermined its profit margin.
July 27, 2021
  • Rising price of paper, plastics and other commodities has increased costs
  • Adjusted operating margin fell 2.9 per cent to 21.6 per cent

Reckitt Benckiser (RKT) will have been disappointed when the scientific community decided that Covid-19 was an airborne disease. When the government was asking everyone to wash their hands whilst singing happy birthday, people were also stockpiling Reckitt’s cleaning products Dettol, Lysol and Cillit Bang. Now the health advice is to leave your window cracked rather than disinfect all your surfaces, Reckitt has struggled to maintain the like-for-like sales growth in its hygiene products.

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