Consumer goods group Unilever posts 1.8 pct Q4 underlying sales growth with positive volume growth of 5%, widespread across countries and categories. Total 2009 turnover reached 39.8 billion euro, with a net profit of 3.65 billion euro, representing an increase of 31% versus previous year.

“We made good progress in challenging market conditions. Our market
share improvements were broad-based and improved throughout the year. Our brands are stronger, driven by better quality innovation and a step-change in advertising and promotional expenditure. We have further strengthened our leading positions in developing and emerging markets and made encouraging progress in re-establishing volume growth in Western Europe”, said Paul Polman, Chief Executive Officer, Unilever.

Polman's policy to spend more on marketing and cut prices to entice cash-strapped shoppers drove a third successive quarter of sales volume growth despite sluggish economies while falling commodity costs helped push up the group's profit margins.

"We will continue to focus on volume growth as the main driver for long term value creation, whilst delivering steady and sustainable year-on-year improvement in operating margins and strong cash flow," Polman said in a results statement.
The maker of Hellmann's mayonnaise, Omo detergent and Sunsilk shampoo saw underlying volume growth of 2.3 percent in 2009 and 5 percent in the fourth quarter with this seen across most key categories and countries as the group cut prices to reflect the fall in commodity prices.

The results come after U.S. rivals Procter & Gamble and Colgate-Palmolive reported strong growth in the final quarter of 2009, and European rival Henkel posted a strong close of 2009 due to cost cutting.