HUL expands specialty channels, bets big on digital and quick commerce

Rohit Jawa, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, HUL

Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) maker Hindustan Unilever (HUL) is building speciality channels including health and wellness stores, premium beauty outlets, and gourmet food retailers, the company said in its FY25 annual report.

The company is leveraging AI and technology to strengthen its presence in modern trade, e-commerce and quick commerce. In FY25, the company experienced volatility in commodity prices, uneven weather patterns, and muted consumer demand.

“During the year, we witnessed moderation in urban demand and gradual recovery of rural consumption. Against this backdrop, we remained focused on driving volume growth and strengthening competitiveness for the business. We are building speciality channels such as health and wellness stores, premium beauty outlets, and gourmet food retailers by understanding shopper behaviour and channel requirements,” Rohit Jawa, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, told shareholders in the report.

The company’s e-B2B app, Shikhar, has over 1.4 million retailers onboard. It helps them with specialised offers and AI-powered, personalised advertisements.

“We now have a dedicated Premium Retail Organisation focused on distributing and creating demand for our premium beauty products through the Beauty and Pharma channels. New channels have necessitated a superior point-of-sale availability. We are leveraging advanced technology expertise to strengthen our presence in modern trade, e-commerce and the fast-growing quick commerce channels through technological interventions,” he said.

Increase in digital spends

As consumers make their purchases across platforms, the company has increased its spending on digital marketing.

“This year marked a significant transformation towards excelling in demand drivers for our affluent and aspiring consumers. Consumers now navigate across platforms, creating a complex web of touchpoints, and we aim to go where our consumers are. We have significantly boosted our investments in digital marketing – today, 40 per cent of our spending is on digital media. We have over 12,000 influencers with whom we collaborate for our brands,” added Rohit Jawa.

Published on May 30, 2025