Gillette posts PAT of Rs 20.04 cr in Q2

Mumbai, Oct 22 (UNI) Gillette India(GIL) has posted PAT of Rs 20.04 crores for the second quarter ended September 30, 2008, against Rs 27.82 crores for the corresponding period in the last fiscal.

The company's total sales was worth Rs 142.82 crores, registering growth of four percent over the corresponding period last year (Rs 137.30 crores), announced a company release today.

Sales of its Oral care brand-'Oral B' however grew from Rs 27.61 crores to Rs 32.56 crores, a jump of 17.9 percent.

Grooming products including razors and blades showed moderate growth in sales, from Rs 102.41 crore to Rs 103.21 crores.

The reduction in profits for the quarter has been attributed to price reduction of the company's Vector Plus shaving systems and growth of lower margin mid-price ranged Oral B tooth brushes.

Other factors mentioned include higher expenses incurred on advertising and sales promotion, and increase in cost of imports due to fall in the value of the India Rupee versus US Dollar.

''We will continue to consolidate our blades and razors business with new and innovative propositions. Market Share on both Premium Mach 3 systems and entry level Vector systems continue to grow,'' Shantanu Khosla, Managing Director, Gillette India, said.

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