FMCG Weekly

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Promo-led recovery for brands in the UK and Unilever's Wonder Wash premiumisation case

2026-09-1811:00

UK grocery sales grew two percent in the four weeks to 6 September, with inflation at two point three percent. Branded goods outpaced own label for only the second time this year, but promotional spending rose seven percent, suggesting volume recovery is largely promotion-driven rather than a genuine pricing recovery. Research confirms a barbell polarisation in US FMCG, with mainstream brands losing ground to premium and value tiers simultaneously. Unilever's Wonder Wash expansion...

The growth that price can't buy

2026-09-1110:41

At this week's Barclays Global Consumer Staples Conference in Boston, one theme kept coming up: the next wave of growth will not come from price alone. Matilda looks at how Reckitt refused to match 80 per cent off promotions in dishwashing, and how Danone returned Activia to growth by changing what it stands for. She also asks why Mondelez's Biscoff success still needs checking for where its volume really comes from. Along the way she covers Coca-Cola's pack architecture, price sensitivity af...

8 Revenue Growth Management Trends Revealed in Q2 Earnings Calls

2026-08-2413:57

We reviewed the latest quarterly results, investor presentations and management commentary to see what they reveal about the direction of Revenue Growth Management. Now that all the main Q2 earnings calls have taken place, eight trends stand out. From more selective pricing and greater use of price investment, to the growing role of Price Pack Architecture, promotion ROI, portfolio design and retailer economics. In this episode of FMCG Weekly, we look at these trends, the companies behi...

FMCG Q2 Results: Five Patterns That Matter

2026-07-3011:48

Q2 results confirm that FMCG's growth engine has shifted from price to volume, with Unilever posting its best volume quarter since 2010 and Coca-Cola growing unit cases five percent. But the funding differs sharply. Most companies finance volume through productivity programmes, Coca-Cola and L'Oréal self-fund through brand strength, while Essity trades value for volume. PepsiCo's failed American price cuts prove that discounts alone do not create demand. With the consumer world split between ...

Who Really Won the World Cup at the Checkout?

2026-07-2819:34

The World Cup delivered FMCG sales uplifts across markets, but the underlying sources differed dramatically. UK beer and supermarket sales surged, France saw match-dependent spikes, US growth concentrated in host cities, Germany benefited from extreme heat, Norway recorded strong beer growth, while Dutch campaigns added little corrected market growth. The key RGM lesson is that uplift is not automatically incremental or profitable. Sales may come from category expansion, competitive switching...

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