Outliers in Q1: Asian Paints, Dabur, DMart, Nerolac, shine in a gloomy mkt

Analysts tracking the consumer and retail sectors say the five firms have deployed specific market strategies to push their top-line growth at the same time keeping a tight control on costs

The ongoing June quarter (Q1) results season has thrown up a few outliers in a market that is undergoing a sustained consumer and retail slowdown. Asian Paints, Dabur, Avenue Supermarts, which runs the DMart chain of stores, Kansai Nerolac, and Reliance Retail stand out for their stellar numbers.

Consider this: Asian Paints reported a top-line and bottom-line growth of 16.9 per cent and 17.7 per cent, respectively, year-on-year (YoY) in Q1, beating analysts’ estimates on both counts. The biggest surprise came on the volume growth front at a time when most businesses are facing pressure. Asian Paints reported a 17