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Three days after Twitter troll, HUL slashes prices of soaps and sanitisers
On 18 March, HUL was trolled on Twitter for hiking prices of soaps after the outbreak of COVID-19. The brand claimed it was false accusation.
With the rise in demand of sanitisers and soaps due to the spread of COVID-19, FMCG giant Hindustan Unilever is reducing the prices of Lifebuoy sanitisers, Lifebuoy Liquid handwash and Domex floor cleaners by 15 per cent. The reduced priced products will be available in the market in next few weeks.
The brand has also committed Rs 100 crores to help in the fight against coronavirus.
In a statement issues by the brand, it said, “We are commencing production of these reduced-priced products immediately and these will be available in the market in the next few weeks. HUL has also ramped up the production of Lifebuoy sanitizers, Lifebuoy Handwash liquid and Domex Floor Cleaners and is committed to scaling it up even further in the coming weeks.”
HUL will donate two crore pieces of Lifebuoy soaps in the next few months to the sections of the society which need it the most.
The announcement came three days after the brand was trolled on Twitter for hiking the prices of soaps and hand sanitisers. However, the brand claimed that the allegations were false. In its official statement, the brand clarified, “We have not increased prices of soaps after the outbreak of COVID- 19 in India, especially when people need hygiene products the most. The price of palm oil, a key ingredient for soaps, has been increasing for many months, and at the end of 2019, was up over 25 per cent. Therefore, in January 2020, we increased prices of our soaps by 5 per cent to 6 per cent across our brands: Lux, Lifebuoy, Dove, Hamam, Liril and Pears. This was shared with the media and market on January 31, 2020 during our quarterly earnings call. The price hikes landed in the market in February, which was well before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in India.”
Why are people trolling HUL on Twitter?
HUL will also partner with medical institutions that are providing testing and care facilities to the affected people and provide them free supplies of sanitation and hygiene products such as hand sanitisers, bar soaps and floor cleaners. HUL will donate Rs 10 crores to upgrade the health care facilities in testing centres and hospitals.