Smooth results from WD-40

14 January 2021

WD-40 is one of those iconic brands. Many homeowners and professionals use it for loosening rusted metal parts and repelling moisture from electrical components.

Apparently, it’s been used even more frequently since the start of the pandemic.

Recently announced results for the WD-40 Company’s first fiscal quarter ending on 30 November 2020 showed that total net sales increased by 26% over the same period the previous year, with sales in Europe, the Middle East and Asia up by 40%.

Garry Ridge, chairman of the San Diego-based manufacturer, said this was due primarily to increased demand “linked to renovation trends associated with the pandemic. We call this phenomenon ‘isolation renovation’ and we are experiencing it in nearly all of our direct markets around the world.”

This suggests that people have wanted to breathe new life into old equipment so they can tackle tasks in their workshops, homes and gardens, which is a very positive sign.

Indeed, many might well be tackling more jobs requiring hired equipment for 'isolation renovation' tasks, especially given the guidance to stay at home wherever possible during the current third lockdown and the extension of the furlough scheme until the end of April.