Godrej Consumer hold price increase of soaps amid cost impact

Kolkata, Mar 20 () Godrej Consumer Products Limitedon Friday said despite the rise in input cost by 30 per cent,the company has decided not to increase soap prices due to thecoronavirus crisis.

The company said it wants people to maintain handhygiene practices.

"Pricing in the soaps category has seen significantdeflation in 2019. However, in recent months, we have seen a30 per cent rise in raw material inputs. We were planning fora price increase to partially cover for this spike. But giventhe outbreak of COVID-19, we decided not to hike prices now,"Godrej Consumer CEO (India & SAARC) Sunil Kataria said.

"It is our sincere endeavour to ensure that stocks arereplenished across all channels so that our consumers canadopt better hygiene practices and stay safe. Our teams arealso working round the clock to ensure that adequate stocksare available during these trying times," he said in astatement.

To curb the spread of the coronavirus, people areadvised to strictly adhere to hand hygiene by washing handsfrequently with soap and water or an alcohol-based handsanitiser, the statement said. BSMNN NN