Avon

Avon is a global entrepreneur for beauty and related products. The company was started by a salesman David McConnell in 1886. He started with door-to-door selling of perfumes and went on to establish The California Perfume Company. The first general agent appointed was Mrs P. F. E. Albee, and she started a unique method of selling that prevails even today at Avon. As the company began expanding David felt a need to change the name of the company for going international. Inspired by the beauty of Stratford upon Avon, the company was renamed to Avon in 1939.

The company entered the UK market in 1959 and soon gained popularity amongst women. In 1989, Avon was the first company to stop testing its beauty products on animals. The marketing and selling method of Avon is unique in itself. An agent from Avon shows the latest brochures to his/her customers every three weeks and the orders collected are executed without any delivery charges. The marketing method for Avon became famous so much so that there are sales representative of Avon shown in movies such as Stranger Invader and the brand too has actually been mentioned in the film ’Edward Scissorhand’. Apart from perfumes for men and women, the Avon product range includes skin care, eye care, body care, jewellery and clothing. They also sell products such as toys and shampoos targeted at children.

The company is also involved in social services directed towards breast cancer. It has already raised $450 million across the world for creating awareness and promoting treatment of cancer.