HUL’s Surf Excel achieves $1 billion sales in 2022

16 Feb 2023 , 12:39 PM

Hindustan Unilever’s Surf Excel detergent brand is the first in India’s home and personal care category to reach a billion dollars in annual sales in 2022.

Surf Excel exceeded Rs 8,200 crore in annual sales last year, becoming the first HUL brand to do so, owing to the company’s increased emphasis on premium products. Brooke Bond is HUL’s second largest brand, with annual sales of Rs5,000 crore.

Surf detergent, which was launched six decades ago, now controls more than a fifth of India’s total detergents market, which is worth Rs35,000 crore.

Innovative formats and higher-priced products are increasingly favored by consumers, which has led to strong results for HUL’s home care segment, according to Deepak Subramanian, the company’s executive director of home care. HUL’s focus on premiumization, specifically with liquid detergents and fabric conditioners, has paid off.

The company’s achievement can be attributed to a variety of factors, such as effective marketing and innovation in the market, particularly with Surf bars and liquids, he added. 

Surf, the original market leader in the detergent category, was dethroned by Ahmedabad-based Nirma’s eponymous brand in 1985. However, three years ago the brand regained its position as a leader.

Despite facing inflationary pressures, the company reported a 32% expansion in the Surf Excel brand, which is three times higher than the market growth rate. This success can be attributed to the growing preference for smaller ₹10 packs, which now make up 40% of its category sales.

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