- Hindustan Unilever raised prices on Surf Excel, Rin, Wheel, Dove, and Pears products in Oct-Nov
- Price hikes range between 1.6% and 20% due to elevated raw material and packaging costs
- Cumulative price increases for some products exceed 20%, especially in detergent categories
Hindustan Unilever (HUL) has raised prices across several products under its Surf Excel, Rin, Wheel, Dove and Pears brands during October and November, with the latest increases ranging between 1.6% and 20%, according to channel checks accessed by NDTV Profit. The latest round of price increases comes amid elevated raw material and packaging costs, with the company continuing to undertake calibrated pricing actions to offset inflationary pressures.
Among the steepest increases, Surf Excel's 130g detergent bar and Rin's 250g bar have witnessed a 20% price hike each, with prices rising to Rs 30 from Rs 25. Surf Excel's 200g four-bar bundle has become 9% more expensive at Rs 169, compared with Rs 155 earlier. The product was previously priced at Rs 145, taking its cumulative price increase to 16.6% across two successive revisions.
Similarly, the 250g Surf Excel bar has seen an 11.1% increase to Rs 50 from Rs 45. The product was earlier priced at Rs 42, implying a cumulative increase of 19%.
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HUL price hike
Rin, Wheel Witness Multiple Price Revisions
HUL has also undertaken multiple price increases across its Rin and Wheel detergent portfolios.The 1kg Rin detergent powder pack has seen another price revision, rising to Rs 125 from Rs 123, an increase of 1.6%. The product was earlier priced at Rs 117, followed by successive revisions to Rs 120 and Rs 123.
The cumulative increase stands at 6.8%. Meanwhile, Wheel detergent powder has reported another round of price hike this year. The 2kg Wheel powder pack has become 9% more expensive at Rs 170, compared with Rs 156 earlier.
The product was previously priced at Rs 138, taking the cumulative increase to 23.2%. Similarly, the 4kg Wheel powder pack has seen an 8% price hike to Rs 324 from Rs 300. The pack was earlier priced at Rs 280, implying a cumulative increase of 15.7%.
Dove, Pears Prices Also Increased
The latest pricing action has also extended to HUL's personal care portfolio. The price of Dove's 50 g bar has increased 4% to Rs 26 from Rs 25, while the 100 g Dove bar has become 6.9% more expensive at Rs 62 from Rs 58. Pears' 100 g soap has also witnessed another price revision, rising 3.8% to Rs 54 from Rs 52. The product was previously priced at Rs 50, taking its cumulative price increase to 8%.
What's driving the price increase?
The latest price increase comes against the backdrop of continued inflationary pressures on key raw materials, partly driven by geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. According to industry inputs, palm oil prices remain elevated by around 20-30%, while palm fatty acid distillate (PFAD), a key input used in soap manufacturing, has also witnessed a sharp increase in prices.
Packaging costs have also risen by as much as 50%, adding to cost pressures for fast-moving consumer goods companies. Detergents contribute approximately 25-30% of HUL's revenue, making the category significant to the company's overall business. Within detergents, Wheel operates in the mass segment, Rin in the mass-premium segment and Surf Excel in the premium segment, which typically commands higher margins.
Meanwhile, soaps contribute an estimated 15-18% of HUL's revenue and account for nearly 90% of its personal care segment, according to the category estimates shared with NDTV Profit.
What HUL Said During Q2 Earnings
HUL had earlier indicated that it was undertaking calibrated pricing actions to offset elevated input costs while protecting consumer demand. "We have taken pricing to cover all the input costs that we have seen. Input costs remain elevated. We do caliberated price increases only to cover the absolute impact of the higher cost. This helped us to protect our consumer franchise, sustain healthy volumes, and strengthen market position," the company said during its second-quarter earninhs commentary.
The company had already increased prices across its portfolio by an average of 7.5% during the July-September quarter to mitigate elevated input costs.The latest October-November revisions indicate that pricing actions have continued into the subsequent quarter, particularly across detergent and soap categories.
NDTV Profit has asked for a response from HUL on the latest price revisions. No response was received until the time of filing.
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