Procter & Gamble (P&G), one of the main global manufacturers of consumer products, began a transformation process that impacts its organizational structure, results in the reduction of teams and the discontinuation of well-known items in several international markets.
The company, which owns renowned brands such as Oral-B, Gillette, Pampers, Ariel, Pantene and Head & Shoulders, has implemented a comprehensive plan that includes cutting around 7,000 jobs globally.
Simultaneously, the multinational chose to exit certain product categories and even deactivated its own production plant in one of the regions where it operates.
These changes are part of a reorganization project that was announced in 2025. Most of the actions planned by the company should be completed by the end of fiscal year 2027.
It’s crucial to understand that despite the magnitude of these operations, P&G is not planning the global demise of core brands like Gillette, Oral-B or Pampers. The strategy focuses on localized adjustments, impacting specific products, formats and regions, seeking optimization rather than a complete withdrawal from the global market for these main lines.
Procter & Gamble announces layoffs of 7,000 workers
The reduction in the number of employees constitutes one of the most significant pillars of this restructuring process.
P&G announced the layoff of around 7,000 employees over a two-year period. At the time of the plan’s announcement, this number represented approximately 6% of its global workforce.
However, the impact of these layoffs is not restricted to production areas.
The company reported that the cuts correspond to around 15% of employees who carried out activities outside the industrial sector. Thus, the areas most affected are corporate, administrative and support functions.
By reducing the number of teams, the multinational seeks to speed up decision-making processes, simplify its structure and contain operational expenses.
In addition to the layoffs, the company is also reviewing its supply logistics and analyzing the relevance of its products in each specific market.
Restructuring costs already exceed hundreds of millions of dollars
The restructuring program is no longer a mere projection and is now reflected in P&G’s financial statements.
In the nine months ending in March 2026, P&G recorded a total of US$455 million in expenses related to the departure of its employees.
Considering other charges linked to the reorganization, such as assets and various operational adjustments, the amount reached US$782 million in the same period of time.
The company reported in July 2026 that it had already computed more than half of the total costs anticipated for the program during the previous fiscal year.
The majority of remaining spending is expected to be accounted for throughout the 2027 fiscal year.
Portfolio changes already affect products in some countries
P&G’s initiatives are not just limited to the workforce.
The company chose to streamline its portfolio, discontinuing certain brands, product formats and sales models in markets where it seeks more economical operations.
Some of these changes have already been implemented.
In the Philippines, product lines linked to the Pampers, Whisper and Tide brands are being withdrawn from the market.
This reorganization process intensified at the end of 2025 and continued throughout 2026.
Consequently, consumers in that country now encounter reduced availability of products from brands that traditionally occupied significant shelf space.
Pampers brand has ceased production and sales in the Philippines
One of the most notable decisions is the discontinuation of the Pampers brand in the Philippines.
P&G chose to cease manufacturing and selling this category of products in the Philippines.
The brand itself had already informed about a progressive exit of its products.
This measure is relevant, given that Pampers is among the most recognized brands in Procter & Gamble’s global portfolio.
However, it is important to note that this change does not imply the worldwide end of the brand.
The company continues to sell Pampers in different regions of the world and preserves it as one of its most strategic international businesses.
Ariel and Tide detergents are also no longer sold in certain presentations
The transformations also affected the clothing cleaning products sector.
The company decided to end its operations in the detergent and bar soap segment for clothing in markets such as India and the Philippines.
In the Philippines, this action affected some presentations of the Tide and Ariel brands.
Once again, P&G did not close brands globally.
The decision was only to stop the manufacture or sale of certain product formats in these specific markets.
While some lines are reduced, the multinational continues with other products from the same brands in nations that it considers to be of great strategic importance.
Feminine hygiene brand Whisper withdraws from the Philippine market
The Whisper brand was also included in the reorganization process.
Whisper’s feminine hygiene products have exited the Philippine market, following the same pattern as changes affecting Pampers and some laundry lines.
The discontinuation of the brand occurred progressively.
Merchants noticed a decrease in the supply of products from the end of 2025, when the process began.
This strategy signals that P&G is prepared to discontinue even highly visible brands if financial returns in a specific market do not meet expectations.
Other products may be discontinued in the coming years
Analysis of the product portfolio is ongoing.
In the results released in July 2026, the company admitted that future discontinuations are expected to impact its performance during the 2027 fiscal year.
P&G estimates that the removal of brands, formats and marketing methods could reduce organic growth projected for the period by between 0.3 and 0.5 percentage points.
This estimate suggests the possibility of further modifications.
However, P&G has not released an exhaustive list of upcoming brands or products that will be discontinued.
Thus, there is no confirmation that brands such as Gillette, Oral-B, Pantene or Head & Shoulders will be closed, for example.
P&G closes its own manufacturing in Pakistan
Another significant change occurred in Pakistan.
In October 2025, P&G decided to end its direct manufacturing and marketing operations in that country.
This decision also extended to the structure of Gillette Pakistan.
In this situation, the multinational redefined its market strategy, instead of simply removing all its brands.
The company now uses independent distributors, who are responsible for supplying products to consumers with items produced in other factories.
As a result, products from brands such as Gillette, Ariel, Pampers, Pantene, Head & Shoulders and Oral-B can still be found on the market, even without P&G’s direct industrial presence in Pakistan.
This measure highlights another aspect of P&G’s strategy: reducing fixed costs in certain markets, maintaining commercial presence through alliances with local partners.
Brands like Oral-B and Gillette will not end globally
Although Oral-B and Gillette are among P&G’s best-known brands, there has been no announcement regarding the worldwide closure of these product lines.
Both brands remain an integral part of the Procter & Gamble portfolio.
The same applies to Pampers, Ariel, Pantene, Head & Shoulders and Tide.
Therefore, the restructuring does not mean a mass elimination of the company’s most important brands.
The multinational evaluates each market individually to determine which products, formats or operations should be maintained.
How does P&G’s restructuring affect the Brazilian market?
In Brazil, to date, there are no reports about the discontinuation of brands such as Oral-B, Gillette, Pampers or Ariel as a result of this restructuring program.
Likewise, no information was released indicating that the 7,000 job cuts announced by P&G are concentrated in the country.
P&G did not detail the total distribution of layoffs by market.
The main product discontinuations announced so far involve other countries, with a special focus on the Philippines.
In Pakistan, the company closed its own operating structure and implemented a new distribution model.
In this way, Brazilian consumers continue to normally find the multinational’s most relevant brands.
P&G demonstrates financial strength despite transformations
The cuts in jobs and product lines do not indicate that Procter & Gamble is in bankruptcy.
The company concluded the fiscal year ending June 2026 with sales volume of approximately US$87 billion.
Annual revenue recorded growth of around 3%.
Additionally, the multinational reported a net profit of approximately US$16.1 billion and generated US$19.6 billion in operating cash flow.
Therefore, the restructuring is being carried out by a company that maintains a high level of profitability.
P&G’s initiative aims to improve its profit margins, reduce operating costs and focus investments on business segments with greater return potential, which reinforces that the company is strategically adjusting for the future, and not in crisis.
Rising costs and competition drive changes
Even with profits in the billions, the multinational is faced with a more challenging market environment.
For the 2027 fiscal year, P&G projects an impact of around US$1 billion, including taxes, due to the increase in the costs of raw materials, transportation and energy.
At the same time, in several markets, consumers have been looking for more affordable options.
This trend intensifies competition between established brands and products from local manufacturers or private labels from large retailers.
Given this scenario, P&G opted for a leaner structure and to direct its investments to categories that promise the greatest return.
P&G global reorganization continues in 2027
The reorganization plan has not yet been completed.
Procter & Gamble estimates that the total cost of the reorganization will range between $1 billion and $1.6 billion, pretax, over approximately two years.
During this period, the company will continue to reduce teams, review its operations and evaluate which products will be maintained in each market.
In essence, one of the largest consumer goods companies in the world is combining the cuts of 7,000 employees with a significant reduction in its product portfolio.
Pampers and Whisper categories have already been removed from a key market. Ariel and Tide have had certain performances discontinued. Additionally, P&G completed its own production operation in another nation.
However, at the moment, well-known brands such as Gillette, Oral-B, Pampers, Ariel, among others, remain present in P&G’s global portfolio and continue to be available without changes in the Brazilian market, ensuring that consumers in the country are not directly affected by these announced changes.
