With growing beauty and health awareness, especially among women, the cosmetic industry has taken the centre stage. Avon has successfully captured the cosmetic global market, with its footprints now extending across all continents.
Today, Avon is the largest direct seller of makeup products in the world largely due to its quality products and unique marketing strategy. With a humble beginning in 1886, Avon has spread its tentacles from New York to most countries. Thanks to its wide coverage, it is understandably easy to get an Avon catalog.
Avon has numerous cosmetic products, with constant flow of new products in the pipeline. Its well-illustrated and glossy product catalogue provides easy-to-spot cosmetics for specific uses. Avon products include all that a woman can ever want to enhance or maintain her beauty.
Keeping up with its reputation as the world’s largest direct seller, Avon has been selling its unique products in around 135 countries through a highly efficient network consisting of about 6 million independent salespersons. Avon not only showcases a slew of world-class cosmetic and beauty products, but also offers children’s toys for different age groups.
David H. McConnell, the celebrated founder of Avon, began his career as a book salesperson. Later, in one of the interviews, he acknowledged that he carried perfume samples with him, because his women customers were enamoured of them. This strategy, he admitted, paid off well as he had to travel then as a door-to-door sales representative. He perceived how some of them faced the uphill task of making ends meet, and also noticed their inherent sales skills.
Over the last 122 years, the Avon catalogue and product-lines have grown exponentially. Its first catalogue was printed in 1906, while the first colour catalogue was printed and was shown to customers by 10,000 Avon agents all over the US.
Avon’s USP lies in direct selling by representatives who carry not only catalogues, but also samples of new products. They are trained to present new products to prospective customers. Online Avon catalogues also offer customers the choice to shop for products through e-commerce sites. Although Avon has utilized the Internet extensively as a selling tool, printed brochures and catalogues are still used.
Avon’s products have been competitively priced. It is appealing to most women who treat themselves to a new lipstick or body cream or cosmetic product. The convenience of having the items delivered to the door is another reason for its growing popularity.
Being the first cosmetic company to sell online in 1997, Avon representatives today conduct a large portion of their business online. A dedicated Avon representative website supports top sellers with latest information on new products.
From an inspired beginning, Avon’s success has shown how direct selling with the aid of catalogues can provide unlimited marketing opportunities. Avon continues to rely on its trusted customers even as they trust in its products.
