Strong start from McBride

THE boss of shampoo to mouthwash maker McBride will today tell shareholders it has made a good start to the financial year as bargain conscious shoppers opt for own label goods.

The group said trading between July and August has been ahead of expectations, with revenue up 6%.

McBride, which is holding its AGM today, said it continues to see good performance in the private label market and is benefiting from contract gains in both the UK and Continental Europe.

It added that it has made savings following a restructure which saw it cut around 60 of its 600-strong workforce at its headquarters in Manchester and close a Warrington facility with the loss of 100 jobs.

Chief executive Miles Roberts said: “We have built on the good start we made to the current financial year.

“Our markets remain highly competitive and will continue to be so as private label continues to perform strongly in its core categories in these difficult economic times. We will therefore continue our strategy of focusing on where we can add value for our customers.”