HUL Q1 FY26 ad spend falls 1.4% YoY, rises 9.6% from previous quarter

Hindustan Unilever (HUL) reported a net profit of Rs. 2,768 crore for the first quarter of FY26, marking a 6% rise compared to Rs. 2,612 crore in the same quarter last year. 

HUL, the company behind brands like Surf Excel, Dove, and Lifebuoy, posted a 5% rise in revenue from operations, reaching Rs. 16,296 crore in Q1 FY26, up from Rs. 15,497 crore in the same period last year. The growth in both profit and revenue came even as the company reduced its ad and promotional spending by 1.4% year-on-year.

In the first quarter of FY26, HUL spent Rs. 1,656 crore on advertising, slightly lower than the Rs. 1,681 crore it spent in the same quarter last year. However, ad spending rose 9.6% compared to the previous quarter, when it stood at Rs. 1,510 crore in Q4 FY25.

The company reported steady growth across key business segments in its Q1 FY26 results. The beauty and personal care division, which includes brands like Glow & Lovely, Elle 18, and Lakme, saw a 10.6% year-on-year increase in revenue, reaching Rs. 3,631 crore.

The Home Care segment—which houses brands such as Comfort, Vim, and Domex—generated Rs. 5,777 crore in revenue, up 1.9% from the same quarter last year. HUL noted that Household Care posted strong underlying volume growth (UVG), particularly driven by dishwash products, while the liquids category continued its double-digit growth trajectory.

Revenue from the personal care segment rose 6.45% year-on-year to Rs. 2,540 crore, and the foods division grew by 4.3% to Rs. 4,016 crore. Bodywash products maintained their double-digit growth pace, while oral care saw mid-single-digit growth, led by Closeup.

The Q1 update comes shortly after HUL announced the appointment of Priya Nair as its new CEO and Managing Director.