Direct Selling Roundup

Direct Selling Association celebrates the history of direct selling with “America at 250”

The DSA released a video titled, “America at 250: Direct Selling, An All-American Story” in honor of the 250th anniversary of the United States. It highlighted the industry’s contribution of $34.7 billion (DSEF Growth & Outlook Report) to the US economy.

“Across the country, decisions about independent work are already moving forward. What’s being decided right now is whether people will continue to have the right to choose independence. When someone explains why they pursued independence instead of employment, and how that choice actually works in their life, it helps policymakers understand why the right to choose independence matters,” said Dave Grimaldi, CEO, Direct Selling Association.

DSA remarked that the video shows how direct selling has been a part of the American story, giving people an opportunity to build business on their own terms.

Atmosphera expands to the US with a hybrid direct sales model

The Canadian skincare brand enters the US market with an innovative direct sales model. After restructuring, the company establishes its operations with Katya Johnson and Christi Hucks as co-CEOs, Mia Davis, former Beautycounter Head of Mission, Health and Environment, as Chief Impact Officer, and Steve Raack as COO.

The new hybrid model is a combination of modern affiliate model and direct sales that allows sellers to share and earn commissions. Sellers will need to pay an annual fee of $50 and receive 20% off personal purchases. They need not purchase products or carry inventory to be eligible for retail sales commissions.

As a part of its sustainability initiative, the company is funding a project to collect over 20,000 pounds of plastic waste from waterways during the course of its first year. The company will also instruct its team to clean up their neighborhood.

Davis told Beauty Independent, “When you frame the question around public and environmental health, you get really strong answers, and that’s regardless of the demographics, but people don’t always know that the safety of the ingredients is intricately connected to climate and to the supply chain. I don’t necessarily believe that we have to meet people where they are all the time. We can bring the energy, we can bring the knowledge and we can bring a new way of doing business to our partners, up and down the supply chain.”

Oriflame returns to Cannes with Glam Studio for second straight year

Oriflame offered professional beauty services with its Glam Studio at the Cannes International Film Festival from 12th to 22nd May. Following its successful debut last year, Oriflame set up its Glam Studio at Palais Miramar on the Croisette and welcomed talents from the international film and fashion industry.

The global brand is setting up an exceptional experience with makeup studio, hairstyling studio, Relax Zone, and Oriflame products zone. Oriflame will be showcasing its passion for storytelling through beauty and self expression. The event will also serve as a great opportunity to bring global awareness.

“Cannes is a global celebration of storytelling and self-expression, which makes it a natural fit for Oriflame. With our Glam Studio, we’re proud to support talent at one of their most visible moments, while showcasing the creativity, craftsmanship and entrepreneurial spirit that defines our brand. From the products we develop to the people who represent us around the world, beauty at Oriflame is always about confidence, individuality and opportunity.” said Elena Degtyareva, Chief Marketing Officer at Oriflame.

Retirement savings initiative for direct sellers

An Executive order was passed for extending access to retirement savings for independent workers. The US Department of the Treasury must establish a federal platform for workers who do not have retirement savings program sponsored by their employer to open and manage retirement savings account.

The platform would provide affordable retirement accounts called IRAs and this will help people save money for the long-term with lower fees. In addition to this, the government may contribute extra money of up to $1000 annually to the retirement accounts of eligible people.

DSA appreciated the effort commenting that this will address the “longstanding gap in access to retirement savings tools” for direct sellers “without altering the independent contractor model that defines the channel.”

Dave Grimaldi, the CEO of Direct Selling Association said, “Direct sellers represent millions of Americans building business on their own terms, without access to traditional retirement benefits. This Executive Order recognizes that reality and takes a constructive step forward by expanding access to savings tools and introducing a meaningful federal match. Supporting independent work means building around it, not trying to change it, and this is a step in the right direction.”

LivePURE empowers distributors with AI-powered sales support

The beta launch of a new AI-powered platform for sales assistance and support for its distributors was announced by LivePURE. The new platform was developed in-house and intends to create a unified shopping experience along with product awareness and personalized wellness guidance.

The platform will analyze customer interactions and shopping behaviors to provide distributors with the support they need to serve their customers through a personalized approach. The system was trained on real customer interactions and feedback.

“This gives our Brand Promoters real sales support working for them 24/7 on their replicated websites. The AI helps bridge the gap for customers who may not be ready to text, call or wait for an answer by guiding them through products and helping them feel more confident about where to start. For our Brand Promoters, this means a better customer experience, more educated shoppers, stronger engagement and more opportunity to grow their business without every sale depending on them being online at that exact moment,” said Sharif Sayed, LivePURE Senior Vice President.