Premiumisation has been the main strategy that Priya Nair, Executive Director (Home Care), Hindustan Unilever, has been following for a while now. From fabric softeners to liquid detergents, Nair has been passionately pushing the premium portfolio not just in bigger cities but in rural markets too.
One of Nair's oft-quoted examples is the Rs 3 sachets of fabric conditioner brand Comfort and the 200 ml pack of Surf Excel liquid detergent, which she says are a hit in rural markets. A premium product in a smaller pack and at an affordable price point does have takers even in rural markets.
Nair's strategy has paid off. Despite HUL's overall volume growth in the first quarter of 2019/20 being the lowest in several quarters, the home care business grew 10 per cent. In fact, Nair is in the process of launching her next premium offering, a detergent brand, Love & Care, which will be available only in modern retail stores in 30-odd cities in the country to begin with. If things go well, this will be another success story for Nair.