PZ Cussons says trading strong as it relaunches major brands

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Apr 13, 2017

Consumer products giant PZ Cussons reported strong trading in its latest update Thursday with the owner of the Sanctuary, Charles Worthington, Original Source and Fudge brands, among others, being boosted by new launches, margin improvement and the effects of the weak pound.

In the UK in the period from January 25 to April 12, performance in the washing and bathing division was robust, the company said. The firm’s heritage Imperial Leather range was completely relaunched during the period and the company added new products to its Carex and Original Source lines.

In beauty,  Sanctuary, St Tropez, Charles Worthington and Fudge did well too and the Sanctuary brand is also being completely relaunched with a new product range and a more premium look and feel. The company is also launching a new sub-brand of Sanctuary to target younger consumers.

In Australia, new product launches and margin improvement initiatives improved profitability despite ongoing challenging trading conditions. In particular, there were significant range extensions under both the Rafferty's Garden and five:am brands.

Good growth continued in Indonesia on the back of the relaunch of the Cussons Kids range together with a new range of Imperial Leather products that Cussons said is selling well. Performance in the smaller markets of Thailand and the Middle East has been in line with expectations.