This change in demographics has helped the cosmetics industry, and Avon, in two ways: women have less time to shop, and the importance of a (professional( appearance has become a prime motivator for a number of consumers. Through the use of catalogs as well as personal representatives, the company is able to help women shop conveniently, and the (professional( appearance aspect is handled by the nature of the products and the images shown in the catalogs (Hwang A1). In addition, the company continues to emphasize its international operations since only 35 percent of revenue and 30 percent of profit came from the United States in 1993 (Vandeventer 262K).
Of course, Avon is not the only competitor in the healthcare and beauty market, nor is it the only company which uses personal representatives selling in the home. In addition to Avon, Mary Kay cosmetics and Beauticontrol Cosmetics both use personal representatives and catalog sales. Avon also competes against compan
...