Consumer goods giant Unilever could sell half a million Magnums on what could be the UK’s hottest day ever on Thursday — but it was chillier weather that hindered ice-cream sales in the latest quarter.
The Ben & Jerry’s seller blamed the unseasonably cold weather in Europe and North America for knocking half a percentage point off overall sales in the April-to-June quarter.
That looks like turning around as the mercury rises, according to finance director Graeme Pitkethly. “If the weather continues like this, we’re going to sell a lot of ice-cream,” he said.
Overall sales rose 3.5% in the quarter, slightly shy of City hopes, which dropped the shares 1% or 63.75p to 4935.5p.
In the first half of the year overall, Unilever’s underlying sales rose 3.3% to €26.1 billion (£23.3 billion), with emerging markets like China the big driver.
The firm sold its spreads business as part of a corporate shake-up last year.
