The International Top 30

Consumer packaged goods companies such as Unilever, L’Oréal, Shiseido and Kao weathered a rough start to 2009, before settling in and posting good results for the second half of the year. Things got off to a strong start in 2010 too, as consumers appeared to regain their appetite for makeup, laundry detergents and even hard surface cleaners.

But as the year passed the halfway mark, it appears as if a lot of question marks are weighing heavily on economists’ and consumers’ minds. For example, massive sovereign debt woes in Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Greece and Spain have sent gyrations throughout the global economy. Meanwhile, anemic consumer spending in the U.S. has many observers wondering if the tepid economic recovery has staying power. Of course, most leaders in the household and personal products industry are quick to point out that innovative products can propel sales forward in even the choppiest economic waters. To find out more about their innovative products, sales results and in many cases, plans for 2010 and beyond, be sure to read The International Top 30 on the following pages.

Now in its 20th year, The International Top 30 provides a snapshot of the leading household and personal products companies with global headquarters outside the U.S. As in years past, Unilever leads the way with household and personal product sales in excess of $26 billion. Rounding out the top five are L’Oréal, Reckitt Benckiser, Henkel and Kao.

Companies are ranked according to sales of household, personal care and beauty products for their most recently concluded fiscal year. Sales are translated from local currency to U.S. dollars using an average exchange rate for the fiscal year reported. For privately held firms, sales are estimated via a variety of industry sources. Of course, if you are looking for results for U.S.-based companies, be sure to read The Top 50, which is available online at Happi.com.

As always, we hope you enjoy this edition of The International Top 30, and we welcome your comments and suggestions for new companies on our list.