McBride reports Q3 sales rise

PERSONAL care and household cleaning products manufacturer McBride saw sales rise 2.6% in the three months to the end of March.

The Middleton-based group, which makes shower gel, shampoos and bleach for retailers such as Asda and Carrefour, is in the midst of a cost cutting exercise to reduce its UK workforce by 400 to 1,200.

Staff at its manufacturing sites in Barrow, Bradford, Hull and Middleton are affected.

In a trading update for the third quarter McBride said: “Group revenues were 2.6% higher and Private Label sales 2.9% higher on a constant currency basis than the comparable quarter in 2014.  

“Sales in UK and Italy showed modest growth but France and Spain remained challenging. The German market continued to deliver the growth levels seen in the first half.”

It added: “The UK restructuring project is progressing well and remains fully on track.”

Announced in June 2014, the restructuring in the UK business will save the grouop £12m by summer 2016.