While many multinationals were assessing the carnage and cost caused by the coronavirus, Reckitt Benckiser was one of the few companies left standing in the FTSE when the UK went into lockdown.
A quick glance at supermarket shelves explains why.
The company’s top brand, antiseptic Dettol, has vanished as quickly toilet rolls, as has its bleach cleaner Harpic. It has also just announced a major partnership with Africa’s leading e-commerce platform to provide a steady stream of hygiene products such as soap bars, disinfectants and liquid hand wash during the COVID-19 crisis. The unprecedented spike is an unexpected boost for new CEO Laxman Narasimhan who had already ring-fenced £2bn to revive growth across the group.
