Direct Selling

Stores continue to invest in systems that make buying easier, more convenient, frictionless, while e-commerce players are expanding their shopping capabilities, helping consumers to find better, more targeted products. In the process, these two…

Direct selling declined in terms of current value sales in Vietnam in 2023, with the drop driven by the continued fall of leading brands Herbalife Nutrition, New Image, and Amway as they struggled in the context of global inflationary pressures.…

Direct selling re-emerged during the review period, following many years of absence from Uzbekistan. Following poor performances, most companies had exited this channel prior to the review period in 2012, due to tightening restrictions, including…

Beauty and personal care brands, including players such as Avon, continued to represent the largest part of the direct selling business. In 2022, these players were able to leverage their longstanding relationship with consumers, using their solid…

The mass exodus of refugees from Ukraine in 2022 following the Russian invasion took a particularly heavy toll on direct selling. This was because a high proportion of those who left were women, who not only represent this channel’s main target…

Direct selling in Turkey registered a further fall in constant values sales in 2023. A shift away from direct selling to e-commerce led to a drop in sales, as e-commerce also provides the convenience of direct delivery. In fact, direct selling was…

Direct selling benefited from a rising number of agents, particularly women, in Tunisia in 2022. This surge in participation can be attributed to the intensified recruitment efforts of leading operators such as Avon, which actively sought to expand…

Direct selling continued its declining trend in both value terms at constant 2023 prices and in current value terms for the second year running in the US in 2023. The impressive growth posted by direct selling in 2020 has not been sustained. As a…

Amid the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, local consumers turned to direct selling in the UK as a way to augment their household earnings. Data released by the UK’s Direct Selling Association (DSA) revealed a significant surge in the number of people…

Market saturation in the United Arab Emirates, featuring prominent brands across diverse retail channels, poses a hurdle in persuading consumers to choose direct selling. To navigate this competitive landscape, direct selling players must distinguish…

Following a three-year period of decline, direct selling in the Philippines registered modest growth in current value terms in 2023. The channel suffered losses during the pandemic, when agents were unable to sell to their customers on a face-to-face…

As COVID-19 restrictions were eased and shops re-opened in 2022, some consumers turned away from direct selling and showed more interest in going out again and visiting physical retail outlets. However, in 2023, consumers showed renewed interest in…

Direct selling in the Czech Republic experienced a surge in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic when physical outlets were closed. With online retailers still underdeveloped, direct sellers were able to absorb some of the retail needs of Czechs.…

Direct selling in Thailand continued to fall in terms of current value sales in 2023, in a persistent decline that began in 2020 and has not let up since. However, the rate of the drop was significantly slower than in the previous year of 2022. The…

Direct selling companies in Taiwan are undergoing a significant transformation as they adapt to the evolving retail landscape, with a notable trend being the embrace of digital transformation. Recognising the increasing prominence of e-commerce and…

After years of strong growth during the review period, direct selling in Switzerland recorded decline in 2023, although sales remained above pre-pandemic levels. Local consumers returned to shopping outside of the home, visiting stores more…

Following marginal decreases in retail current value sales in 2021 and 2022, direct selling in Sweden faced another difficult year in 2023. While retail current value sales rose slightly, this was due to high inflationary pressure on prices. At…

According to the Spanish Association of Direct Selling, only around 30% of Spaniards purchase products via direct selling. The regions where direct selling has the highest penetration rate are Andalusia, Madrid, and Catalonia. The limited penetration…

Direct selling saw little movement in its value sales in current terms in South Korea in 2023, with just a slight decline seen. In April 2023, a legal shift unfolded, permitting sponsored direct sellers to engage in non-face-to-face transactions…

In 2023, direct selling in South Africa remained subject to challenging operating environments. Despite some stabilising of value sales following three consecutive years of decline as a result of the pandemic, there was still lower demand for certain…

Direct selling is seeing positive growth in 2022, albeit below the level of inflation. The category took a hit during the era of the pandemic, when restrictions on person-to-person contact severely dampened value sales, and 2021 only saw a modest…

Direct selling in Slovakia registered a further fall in both current and constant values sales in 2023. A shift away from direct selling to e-commerce led to a drop in sales, as e-commerce also provides the convenience of direct delivery. In fact,…

2022 was a strong growth year for direct selling in Singapore, due to the resumption of events and pre-pandemic lifestyles, which made it easier for sales agents to conduct outreach and engagement activities. While the channel recorded a marginal…

Although direct selling saw dynamic growth in current value terms in 2022 this was actually barely above inflation levels. In 2021 direct selling in Serbia started on the path to recovery from the hit it took during the first year of the COVID-19…

Increasing health awareness and consciousness of consumers in Saudi Arabia helped to maintain strong demand for home delivered bottled water in 2023, which is one of the leading products within direct selling. Most households in Saudi Arabia are…

The decline of direct selling in 2023 in Romania was a continuation of the results noted in 2022. Much of this decline was due to the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions, which began in March 2022, and resulted in a strong uplift of consumers in…

In 2023, direct selling sales declined in Portugal for the fourth year in a row. The high competition from other channels, the increasing penetration of e-commerce and changing consumer habits are challenging the channel, and consequently, it…

In 2023, direct selling registered marginal growth in retail value sales. After a decline in 2022, direct selling returned to positive if marginal growth. The cost-of-living crisis proved beneficial for the industry as more people sought to be hired…

With consumers looking for greater convenience and ways to save money, direct selling in Peru has gained popularity in 2023. Affordable prices, regular promotional cycles and payment options at no extra cost are the main advantages of direct selling,…

Despite growing consumer awareness and the presence of questionable brands and products in the direct selling channel, the channel continues to remain relevant, particularly in rural areas where malls and shopping centres are fewer in number. In…

The pandemic has revived the fortunes and renewed the popularity of the direct selling channel amongst Norwegian consumers, as it led companies to establish new ways of marketing and selling their products, namely by using digital tools, such as…

In 2022, though there was healthy growth in current value sales, constant value sales remained unchanged. The war in Ukraine had a negative impact, with the resultant energy crisis leading to soaring inflation and dampening sales somewhat. That being…

Direct selling in Nigeria faced challenges in 2023 as the country grappled with high inflation, resulting in decreased purchasing power among consumers. The direct selling model, predominantly conducted through social commerce and word of mouth, saw…

2023 was the first year since 2019 in which direct selling in New Zealand was not subject to social, trading or movement restrictions. These limitations had adversely impacted the trading ability of direct selling companies earlier in the review…

Direct selling in Morocco experiences a resurgence as society resumes normal activities, albeit amidst economic challenges posed by the rising cost of living. Despite initial setbacks during the pandemic, cosmetics and skin care show signs of…

In 2023, direct selling achieved positive current value growth for a third consecutive year in Mexico; far exceeding the pre-pandemic level of sales. Despite this strong sales performance, the number of direct selling agents contracted again in 2023,…

Direct selling in Malaysia showed resilience during the pandemic, particularly in the case of companies specialising in health and wellness products. Seeking ways to stay healthy, local consumers increasingly turned to health supplements and…

Before the pandemic, direct selling vendors were making efforts to improve their digital presence by providing both social media communication and e-commerce services in order to meet the demands of their customers and remain relevant. This shift to…

Health and beauty direct selling continued to dominate retail value sales in 2022, especially through beauty and personal care products. Traditionally, direct selling in Latvia is a well-known channel for beauty products. Moreover, health and beauty…

Direct selling retail current value sales exhibited a steep decline during 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Restrictions on movement, most notably a dusk-to-dawn curfew in the major cities, made it difficult for salespeople to move around,…

Direct selling registered constant value growth in 2022, in spite of high inflation, which was mainly caused by the war in Ukraine. With concerns surrounding COVID-19 putting a spotlight on the concept of preventive health, many Kazakhstanis have…

Direct selling continues to face headwinds due to the ageing of the customer base, and the loss of recruitment opportunities due to changes in social behaviour since the pandemic. On the other hand, some players saw rising sales in 2023, as society…

After two years of solid growth, direct selling experienced a decline in current value terms in 2023. However, performances varied within direct selling in 2023 with some categories continuing to perform well in 2023, but especially those with a…

Direct selling in Israel in 2023 was reported to have somewhat benefitted from consumers spending more time at home due to the geopolitical situation in the country. As such, products which can be delivered to consumers’ homes are attracting…

Direct selling remained in a relatively steep slump in Ireland in 2023, due to strong competition from a variety of other shopping channels which offer wider ranges of goods at lower prices – both online and offline. Added to which, inflationary…

Direct selling saw a marked fall in sales in current value terms in Indonesia in 2023. The channel generally struggled during the review period, having been heavily impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. Direct selling was not viable at the height of the…

Direct selling saw solid current value growth in India in 2023, although the rate of increase slowed compared with the previous year, returning to growth similar rates to those seen pre-pandemic. Nevertheless, this was impressive, considering the…

Direct selling saw a slump in Hungary in 2023, caused by a confluence of factors. Direct selling is mostly driven by beauty and personal care direct selling in Hungary, which had previously seen a rebound after the notable declines during the time of…

Direct selling returned to growth in current value terms in Hong Kong in 2023. However, during the pandemic the channel saw little disruption compared with many others in retail, holding up relatively well, with only minor declines. Social media…

In Guatemala, the direct selling channel continues to rely heavily on in-person interactions as e-commerce penetration remains relatively low. The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant negative impact on direct selling in 2020 due to government…