Avon Products facts for kids
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| Private | |
| Industry | Cosmetics |
| Founded | 1886 |
| Founder | David H. McConnell |
| Headquarters | London, United Kingdom |
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Area served
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Worldwide |
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Key people
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Angela Cretu (CEO) |
| Products | Cosmetics Perfume Skin Care Personal Care |
| Revenue |  $ 9.1 billion (2020) |
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Operating income
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 US$ 235.2 million (2018) |
| US$ -107.4 million (2016) |
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| Total assets | US$ 3.01 billion (2018) |
| Total equity | US$ -848 million (2016) |
| Owner | Natura Holding S.A.(100%) |
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Number of employees
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23,000 (2019) |
Avon Products, Inc. is a big company that sells cosmetics, skin care, perfume, and other personal care items. It is often just called Avon. The company is based in London, United Kingdom.
Avon uses a special way of selling called multi-level marketing. This means people sell products directly to customers, often from their homes. In 2020, Avon sold products worth $9.1 billion around the world.
It is one of the biggest beauty companies globally. It has about 6.4 million sales representatives. These are the people who sell Avon products to customers. Angela Cretu became the CEO (chief executive officer) of Avon in January 2020.
In 2019, a Brazilian company called Natura & Co decided to buy Avon. This deal was finished in January 2020. After the purchase, Avon became a private company. Its shares were no longer traded on the New York Stock Exchange.
Contents
History of Avon
Avon was started by a man named David H. McConnell. He first sold books by going door-to-door in New York. In 1886, he decided to sell perfumes instead of books.
He began his new business in a small office in Manhattan, New York. In 1892, McConnell changed the company's name. His business partner suggested calling it the "California Perfume Company." This was because his partner lived in California and saw many flowers there.
In 1894, Alexander D. Henderson joined the company. He helped the business grow a lot. They built a laboratory in Suffern, New York, in 1897. The company officially became "Avon" in 1939.
Avon Around the World
Avon sells its products in more than 100 countries. Brazil is a very big market for Avon. It became their largest market in 2010, even bigger than the United States.
Avon started selling in China in 1990. At first, direct selling was not allowed there. So, Avon sold products in special stores called Beauty Boutiques. Later, the rules changed, and Avon could go back to direct selling in China.
Most of Avon's money, about 88%, comes from sales outside the United States. This shows how popular Avon is worldwide.
Big Changes and Purchases
Avon has bought other companies and been bought by others. In 2010, Avon bought Silpada, a company that sold silver jewelry. This cost $650 million.
In 2012, another perfume company, Coty, wanted to buy Avon. Avon decided not to sell, saying the offer was not good enough.
In 2016, a company called Cerberus Capital Management invested a lot of money in Avon. They bought a big part of Avon's business in North America. This deal was worth $605 million in total.
Then, in January 2020, Natura & Co bought Avon Products, Inc. Natura & Co also owns other beauty brands like Natura, Aesop, and The Body Shop. By buying Avon, they created one of the world's largest beauty companies.
Recent Times for Avon
From 2014, Avon's sales around the world started to drop for a few years. In 2016, Avon separated its business in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. This part became a new company called New Avon LLC.
The main global Avon Products company moved its headquarters to London, United Kingdom. In 2019, New Avon LLC was bought by a South Korean company called LG Household & Health Care.
In January 2021, New Avon Company changed its name again to The Avon Company. In June 2020, Avon also released a new company logo. In November 2023, Avon announced it would open physical stores in the United Kingdom for the first time. They already have 63 stores in Turkey.
How Avon Sells Products
Avon is famous for its "Avon ladies" and "Avon men." These are salespeople who go door-to-door or use brochures to show products. Some Avon training centers even have small shops where you can buy skin care products and makeup.
Avon finds people to become sales representatives. These representatives sell beauty products, jewelry, accessories, and clothes. Some well-known Avon brands include Avon Color, Anew, and Skin So Soft.
In 2014, there were about 5 to 6 million Avon sales representatives in over 100 countries. Avon and its smaller companies have around 40,000 to 50,000 employees.
Leaving Some Markets
In October 2013, Avon announced it would close its business in France. Employees there were upset because they felt they were not told about the closure early enough.
Later, in February 2018, Avon said it would close its businesses in Australia and New Zealand. This meant about 220 jobs were lost and 21,400 sales representatives were affected. People criticized the company for not communicating well with its customers and workers.
However, Avon is still active in Russia. As of January 2024, they are still hiring people and making products there.
See also
In Spanish: Avon Products para niños
