Unilever Home Care transformation reshapes business and accelerates growth

Over the last two years, we have transformed our Home Care business to make it more consumer-centric and operationally disciplined. And it’s delivering results.

We spoke to Edu Campanella – Home Care Business Group President – to find out more.

Firstly, Edu, what does this transformation mean for Home Care and the wider business?

Home Care is the clearest proof that Unilever’s strategy works at scale. Sharper choices, bigger brand-led innovations, stronger execution and a more disciplined operating model are translating into higher-quality growth.

The H1 results make the case. We delivered 7.6% underlying sales growth, with 7.4% from volume, and 9.1% USG in Q2, with 8.6% from volume. That marked five consecutive quarters of accelerating growth and our strongest first-half performance in three years.

What specific changes did you make?

In 2024, we reset Home Care’s strategy around the same choices now defining Unilever: fewer, bigger bets, sharper investment behind our Power Brands, a strong focus on execution and operational excellence.

The changes were broad and deep. We strengthened our marketing model, focused capital allocation, invested heavily in our supply chain operation, brought in new talent and built a strong performance and consumer-centric culture.

What evidence do you have that this work has paid off?

First-half 2026 growth was volume-led, broad-based and consistent, with every geography, category, Power Brand and business unit contributing.

We delivered double-digit growth in India and high-single digit growth in Brazil – our top two markets. India reached its highest-ever Home Care market share.

Importantly, H1 wasn’t a one-off rebound. It’s the continuation of past growth acceleration and the outcome of deliberate choices to strengthen both the growth and execution engines of the business.

The performance also stood out versus our global peers.

What are you now doing differently when it comes to innovation?

Essentially, we’ve moved from incremental renovation to market-making innovation.

We’re focusing investment on faster-growing formats, premium propositions and innovations that address changing consumer aspirations – creating new sources of demand rather than simply competing within existing categories.

A great example is Wonder Wash, which has helped establish a new short-cycle laundry category built around convenience and changing washing habits. Launched in 2024, this product is now available in more than 40 markets.

In a category where we had little presence just a few years ago, we’re rapidly scaling our Comfort Scent Boosters innovation, expanding our share in fabric enhancers.

Cif Infinite Clean, our premium multi-purpose cleaning spray, is helping redefine surface cleaning through superior performance and longer-lasting benefits, bringing a truly premium proposition into the category.

What work have you done to strengthen business operations?

We’ve built a more resilient supply chain, fixed underperforming markets, improved in-store execution and deepened retailer partnerships to own the in-store and online shopper moment.

This stronger operating model is being tested with the supply chain disruptions caused by the crisis in the Middle East. Our ability to respond quickly, manage constraints effectively and maintain business momentum demonstrates how much more resilient and agile we’ve become.

Where are the growth opportunities going forward?

We’re well positioned to capture significant growth in developing and emerging markets, which account for more than 80% of our business. Rising living standards are driving increased home care consumption and consumers are trading up to more premium products.

This aligns with Unilever’s focus on building leading positions in attractive growth markets and categories as a pureplay HPC business.

Frequently asked questions

• What is driving growth in the home care market right now?

  Volume-led expansion in developing and emerging markets is the primary driver, with Unilever achieving 7.6% sales growth in H1 2026. The household cleaning industry is experiencing structural shifts as rising living standards drive premium product adoption. Market-making innovations like Wonder Wash (€200 million annualised turnover) create new consumption occasions rather than competing within existing categories.

• Why are emerging markets critical to home care industry growth projections?

  Spending gaps between D&E markets are widening, creating massive value opportunities. Unilever holds strong share positions in underpenetrated markets – India achieved record Home Care share – positioning the business to capture disproportionate value as consumers trade up.

• How sustainable is Unilever Home Care’s growth performance?

  The first-half 2026 performance reflects structural improvements, not cyclical factors, with five consecutive quarters of accelerating growth. While the pace of growth will vary over time, the underlying trajectory is supported by the turnaround of underperforming markets, improved supply chain profitability and deeper customer partnerships. Double-digit growth in India, broad-based volume gains and significant D&E potential demonstrate consistency for investors.