As one of the world’s biggest consumer goods manufacturers, Unilever is closer than many to the underlying trends in the buying behaviour of shoppers — and when it reported on trading over the first quarter last week, its chief executive was clear in his view that there would be changes in the wake of the coronavirus.
Alan Jope cited a probable greater emphasis on products that supported improved health and hygiene, as well as an acceleration of the already advancing move by consumers online to buy their goods. The Unilever boss argued that big brands of the kind that his company produces do well in a crisis because they are trusted. That may be so, but it’s debatable whether the long-term trends will play out
