THE HAGUE, Netherlands – Unilever, the consumer products giant that owns brands including Dove, Lipton and Knorr, was buffeted by bad weather in the United States and Europe and a strong euro in the third quarter.
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The company said Thursday that its sales fell 1.6 percent from the same period last year to 13.2 billion euros ($15.6 billion).
Underlying sales fell 2.9 percent in North America as soft market conditions “were exacerbated by the impact on our sales of the hurricanes in Florida and Texas.”
Demand was also weak in Europe, with ice cream sales suffering from poor summer weather. Unilever makes Magnums and other ice creams.
The company did not report profit figures for the quarter.
CEO Paul Polman says the company expects underlying sales growth of 3-5 percent for the full year.
