Avon Products

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Avon Products, Inc. NYSE: AVP is a US cosmetics, perfume and toy seller with markets in over 135 countries across the world and sales of $9.9 billion worldwide as of 2007.^[1]

Traditionally a direct marketing company, Avon's fastest growing markets today are in China and Russia. The company's chairman and CEO is Andrea Jung, who was promoted to the position in 1999. Avon uses both door-to-door sales people ("Avon ladies," primarily) and catalogs to advertise its products. In some markets (most notably China, which had banned all door-to-door selling before mid-December 2006) Avon products are sold primarily in retail stores.

Avon's product lines include lipsticks, foundations, bath and skin lotions, anti-aging cream, perfumes, as well as jewelry and clothing.

Although the company has always been more directed towards female customers, Avon's line of male products continues to expand, and its children's products (such as shampoos and toys) have also proved successful. Two brand diversifications, "mark." (targeted to younger, college-aged women) and "M" (an Avon catalogue for men), have helped the company reach out into markets it has not serviced.^{[citation needed]} Mark proved to be successful in reaching a new generation of recruits, primarily young women ages 18-25, with a monthly "magalog" featuring award-winning products.

In addition to its corporate pursuits, the Avon corporation is involved in philanthropic causes, primarily centered on domestic violence, women's empowerment and health issues such as breast cancer.

In 2007, Reese Witherspoon signed a multiyear agreement to serve as Avon's global ambassador. The actress will be involved in product development, appear in advertisements, and will serve as the honorary chairman of the Avon Foundation.

[edit] History

Intensive Age Treatment

The company was founded in 1886 by then 28-year-old David H. McConnell who sold books door-to-door and gave out perfume to entice women to buy his books. His perfume became so popular that eventually that is all the women wanted. He then founded the California Perfume Company (CPC) in New York, New York in a 500 square foot manufacturing and shipping office at 126 Chambers Street. As the company grew, he hired his first representative, Mrs. P.F.E. Albee. In 1897, McConnell built a small (3000 square foot) laboratory in Suffern, New York. In 1906, the West Coast office in San Francisco was destroyed in the Great Earthquake. In 1914 the first non-US office was opened in the Canadian province of Quebec. The California Perfume Company was incorporated on January 28, 1916 by David H. McConnell and Alexander D. Henderson (businessman) in Suffern, New York. ^[2]. By 1918, five million units were sold in North America, and by 1928, sales reached $2 million. In October, 1939, the name was changed to Avon Products, Inc. The company was taken public in 1946. By 1954, sales reached $55 million, and the "Avon Calling" advertising campaign introduced. By 1971 the lab would grow into the Avon Suffern Research and Development facility. By 1979, sales reached $3 billion, with one million direct sales agents. Today sales exceed $8 billion worldwide. In 2005 they opened a $100 million dollar 225,000 square foot R&D facility to house its over 300 research and development scientists on the original site in Suffern, NY. Avon also has offices in Luzerne, Pennsylvania and Davenport, Iowa.

[edit] Corporate Officers

Members of the board of directors of Avon Products, Inc. are: Don Cornwell, Edward Fogarty, Stanley Gault, Fred Hassan, Andrea Jung, Susan Kropf, Maria Lagomasino, Ann Moore, Paul Pressler, Paula Stern, and Lawrence Weinbach.

[edit] Avon in popular culture

Avon has been featured in the following:

• In the 1983 film, Strange Invaders, one of the aliens poses as an Avon Lady.
• In Amalgam Comics, the frequent "Avon calling" catchphrase is used by Dare The Terminator.
• The 1990 Tim Burton film Edward Scissorhands features the character Peg Boggs who is an Avon Lady. Avon is also mentioned in the Animaniacs parody of that film, Skullhead Boneyhands with Mr. Skullhead.
• In Hannibal by Tom Harris, a shotgun which fires a shell filled with lead dust used by the FBI for breaking locks is referred to as "Avon Calling."

[edit] References

1. ^ “500 Largest U.S. Corporations”, Fortune: F-13, May 5, 2008 
2. ^ ProQuest Historical Newspapers The New York Times

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Avon Products

• Avon Store Online
• Avon Corporate website
• Avon Company timeline
• mark makeup (a division of Avon)
• Avon non-profit support

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