Unilever Says 1Q 2016 Report Reflects Volatile Market

Unilever said sales in Europe declined 0.6 percent in the first quarter of 2016, compared with the same quarter of the previous year. According to the company, the slower growth was due to the impact of Eurozone deflation and aggressive price discounting. Underlying sales increased 4.7 percent during the quarter, boosted by the 8.3 percent increase in sales in emerging markets. Unilever CEO Paul Polman said the market remained volatile, with sales growth “weakening across emerging markets and negative in Europe.”