Avon is no longer the No 1 global direct sales company

Admin   |   13 February, 2015   |   790   |   3980

NEW YORK - The Avon lady may be losing her charm.

For the first time since at least 2004, Avon Products Inc. AVP, +0.92%  in 2014 surrendered its top global-direct-sales-company title to privately held Amway, according to Euromonitor data compiled for MarketWatch.

Amway, which is based in Ada, Mich., sells a range of products from beauty and skin-care lines that compete with Avon’s offerings to nutritional supplements and air purifiers.

Avon’s market share in global direct sales declined to 8.6% in 2014 from a peak of 11.6% in 2010. U.S. rivals Amway, Herbalife HLF, +0.39%  and Mary Kay gained share during that period. Brazil’s Natura’s share declined to 3.5% from 4%, Euromonitor data showed. Brazil is now Avon’s largest market.

In the U.S., New York–based Avon’s home market and one of its top four along with Brazil, Russia and Mexico, the company fared worse, with market share slumping to 4.3% in 2014 from a peak of 10.2% in 2007. Mary Kay became No. 1 in the U.S. in 2013 and in 2014 garnered an 8.4% share.