Unilever first quarter sales rise despite later Easter

Revenue falls 6.3% to 11.4 bn euros

Consumer goods maker Unilever reported higher first-quarter underlying sales on Thursday, despite a later Easter holiday that pushed some food sales into the second quarter.

The Anglo-Dutch company said revenue fell 6.3% to 11.4 billion euros, though underlying sales, which exclude the impact of foreign exchange and acquisitions and disposals, rose 3.6%.