New Delhi, May 29 (IANS): FMCG major Colgate-Palmolive India has raised prices of toothpaste packs in May, with hikes ranging between 4 and 5 per cent, as rising raw material and packaging costs prompted the company to increase prices across popular variants such as Colgate Dental Cream and Max Fresh, according to a report. Among the key revisions, the price of the Colgate Dental Cream 200g + 100g + toothbrush pack has been increased by Rs 8 to Rs 208, while the 200g Colgate Dental Cream pack has become costlier by Rs 5, taking its price to Rs 135. The Colgate Dental Cream 100g pack has been raised by Rs 3 to Rs 73, with grammage simultaneously increased by around 10 per cent, while the Colgate Max Fresh Blue 70g + 15 per cent extra pack has seen a price increase of Rs 4 and is now retailing at Rs 83. Premium products have witnessed steeper hikes, with the Visible White Purple 200g + 20 per cent extra pack becoming costlier by Rs 17, taking its MRP to Rs 395.
Distributors indicated that lower-MRP packs are unlikely to witness immediate revisions as those categories remain highly price-sensitive and cater largely to mass-market consumers. The latest round of price hikes comes at a time when FMCG companies continue to battle persistent inflationary pressures across commodities, packaging materials and logistics costs. Toothpaste remains the largest revenue contributor for the company, accounting for nearly 80 per cent of its overall revenue, according to the report. Shares of Colgate-Palmolive India on Friday were trading largely flat at Rs 2,083 apiece on the NSE.