Clorox reduces annual sales forecasts as consumer demand weakens amid economic uncertainty

(Reuters) – Clorox trimmed its annual sales forecast on Monday. This is because bleach makers have weakened consumer demand, due to economic uncertainty spurred by US President Donald Trump’s tariffs.

The company’s exposure to tariffs is limited, and a single-digit raw material percentage was sourced from Mexico and Canada, but fears of the recession caused by the World Trade War have made customers more cautious about spending.

“The strengthening of macroeconomic uncertainty has driven a change in shopping behavior, reducing temporary category slowdowns and sales. We expect these slowdowns to continue in the fourth quarter.”

Clorox’s net sales fell 8% from a year ago to $1.67 billion, losing a $1.73 billion analyst estimate, according to data compiled by LSEG.

The company expects annual net sales to decline by 1%, down 1%.

On a adjusted basis, Clorox earned a profit of $1.45 per share, compared to an estimate of $1.57 per share.

Peers such as Pampers Maker Procter & Gamble and Colgate-Palmolive announced last month that they would raise prices for some products to offset higher input costs caused by the trade war.

(Reporting by Aatrayee Chatterjee of Bengaluru, Editing by Leroy Leo)