Unilever chief executive Alan Jope said the pandemic would accelerate the shift to ecommerce in the grocery sector and suggested that the increase in demand for cleaning products such as soap and hand sanitisers would persist long after the health emergency has passed, as consumers place greater importance on hygiene, health and wellbeing.

Unilever owns more than 400 brands, including Dove, Hellman’s, Knorr, Lipton and Surf, meaning it has been exposed to a number of grocery categories during the pandemic.

The manufacturing Goliath has experienced varying levels of demand over the past few months. As demand soared for products such as Pot Noodles and Cif surface spray, shoppers have spent less on items such as shampoo and deodorant as they spend more time indoors.