Highs and Lows

The Global 50’s Covid reality

Friday 24 September 2021

Report

Last year we started to see the first effects of COVID-19 on the Global 50 Consumer Goods giants and for some it was alarming – companies exposed to Chinese consumer demand and Travel Retail were reporting steep declines for their Q1 2020.

Now more than one year into this disruption, we can see its effect more clearly and although it has not been an easy year, with overall growth subdued versus the usual Global 50 standards, it has seen the large players reclaiming some of their turf from insurgent smaller brands. The divide between winners and losers is stark, with players exposed to the right areas (e.g. at-home food & drink consumption) surging whilst those reliant on out of home and social consumption have taken big hits. The last year has also fast forwarded some profound changes which were already underway – particularly around e-commerce and awareness on sustainability – and are now here to stay.

Finally the uncertainty which has marked the past 18 months has created spikes in demand and disruption to supply chains, driving a resurgence of commodity inflation which will put pressure on Global 50 profitability as they race to recover pricing in time.

This turbulence has undoubtedly created daunting challenges for the Global 50 but also opened opportunities to fundamentally rethink their proposition and adapt to evolving consumer needs.

Now is the time to pivot and build a future-proof business. Are you positioned to be one of the winners?

• Have you evolved your portfolio to capitalise on long term changes to consumer needs?
• Are you strongly present in the channels that consumers have gravitated towards?
• Are you ready to digest the raw material shock and defend your position?
• Can you capitalise on competitors who are exposed and struggling to adapt?
• Can you use your balance sheet to fund M&A that step changes your competitive position and helps you address pockets of growth and/or new capabilities required to win?

If you answered no to any of these questions or if you would like to find out more about the OC&C FMCG Global 50, our team would be delighted to hear from you.

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