Unilever says it is ahead of target in capturing P&G’s vacuum in Pakistan

Unilever Pakistan claims it has outpaced its own internal goals in filling the gap left by Procter & Gamble, which quit the country last year. Business Recorder quoted Ammad Danish, who leads Home Care at the firm, describing the gap as an opening that several organised firms are now chasing. Danish said he regrets P&G's exit and added that rivalry sharpens a company's performance.

Danish said Unilever had a defined strategy from the outset and that results so far have beaten its own expectations, though he declined to give volume or revenue figures. He stressed that three or four organised players, not Unilever alone, are competing for the space vacated by P&G. He also linked the recovery of the Home Care unit, which sells brands such as Surf Excel and Vim, to a split of Unilever Pakistan into four business units and to launches such as Surf Excel Whites.

Powder detergents still account for about 99% of Pakistan's fabric care category, while Danish said liquids are growing rapidly. He argued that one company cannot change consumer habits alone, and said Unilever uses AI for planning, content and product testing. He set a five-year goal of leading Pakistan's home care market, overtaking Colgate Palmolive.