Core Insights - The beauty industry is undergoing significant personnel changes, with executives from L'Oréal being highly sought after by various companies [1] - LG Household & Health Care appointed Lee Sun-joo, former president of L'Oréal Korea, as its new CEO effective October 1 [1][4] - Lee Sun-joo is recognized for her diverse brand marketing and business experience, which LG believes will help elevate its beauty and health sectors [4] Company Background - Lee Sun-joo has nearly 20 years of experience in the beauty industry, having started her career at L'Oréal in 2002 [8] - She held various significant positions at L'Oréal, including managing the Kiehl's brand, which became the second-largest luxury brand for L'Oréal during her tenure [7][8] - Prior to joining LG, she also served in leadership roles at L&P and Unilever, enhancing her credentials in the beauty sector [8] Current Challenges - LG Household & Health Care is facing severe challenges, with its latest financial report indicating a 47.4% drop in operating profit, nearly halving [10][14] - The beauty and cosmetics division has seen an 11.5% revenue decline and a staggering 70% drop in operating profit [10][14] - In contrast, competitors like Amorepacific have reported significant profit increases, highlighting LG's struggles in the market [10][12] Market Performance - LG's revenue in South Korea fell by 8.5% in the first half of 2025, and it was the only major Korean beauty company to experience a decline in the Chinese market, down 6% [10][12] - In North America, LG's performance was also underwhelming compared to competitors, with only a 4.8% growth, while others like APR saw a 236.3% increase [12][14] - The appointment of Lee Sun-joo is seen as a strategic move to address these challenges and revitalize the company's performance [14]

Core Insights - Unilever reported a 3.2% decline in sales to €30.1 billion for the first half of 2025, with a net profit decrease of 5.1% to €3.8 billion, while maintaining a gross margin of 45.7% [1][3] - Underlying sales growth (USG) for the first half was 3.4%, driven by a 1.5% increase in volume and a 1.9% price increase [1][4] Segment Performance - The Foods segment, which includes brands like Knorr, saw a 1.8% decline in sales to €6.6 billion, but an underlying sales growth of 2.2% [2][3] - The Beauty & Wellbeing segment, including brands like Dove and AHC, experienced a 0.8% sales decline to €6.5 billion, with a 3.7% underlying sales growth [2][3] - Personal Care sales also fell by 5.9% to €6.5 billion, but underlying sales grew by 4.8% [2][3] - Home Care sales decreased by 6.7% to €5.9 billion, with a 1.3% underlying sales growth [2][3] - The Ice Cream segment reported a slight sales increase of 0.2% to €4.6 billion, with a notable underlying sales growth of 5.9% [2][3] Regional Performance - Sales in the Asia Pacific region declined by 4.3% to €12.8 billion, while the Americas saw a 4.9% drop to €10.9 billion; Europe, however, experienced a 2.3% increase to €6.4 billion [5][6] - Underlying sales growth in the Asia Pacific region was the highest at 3.5%, with the Americas showing a 3.0% price increase and Europe achieving a 2.8% volume growth [6][4] Strategic Focus - Unilever is focusing on the Indian market as a key growth area, while also planning to divest assets worth €1.5 billion to €2 billion, emphasizing that these are not fire sales [8][10] - The company aims to enhance its portfolio by increasing investments in beauty and personal care, particularly in high-end and e-commerce segments [10][11] - Recent acquisitions include brands like Wild and Dr. Squatch, which complement Unilever's existing product lines [9][10] Future Outlook - Unilever anticipates a full-year underlying sales growth rate of 3% to 5% for 2025, supported by the performance in the first half [4][8] - The company expects continued improvement in the second half of the year, particularly in the Chinese and Indonesian markets [8][9]