In June quarter, consumer staples company Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) was treading on a slippery slope. There has been a drop from the double digit growth seen underlying volume growth of 7 per cent for the March quarter. It mirrored the consumption slowdown in the economy.
Signalling the new normal, another quarter down the line, volume growth has further moderated to 5 per cent for the June quarter. “In terms of market point of view, the rural market, which was growing ahead of urban, is growing at par with the urban market,” the management pointed out at the press conference. To be sure, the company had highlighted this during the March quarter results as well.
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Also, the near-term demand will remain subdued given the macroeconomic conditions, the company says.  The company’s EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization) performance was far better than expectations.