Avon to sell through limited Superdrug stores and TikTok

Avon has revealed that its traditional model of door-to-door selling is “not for everybody”, as it announced it would start selling products in 100 Superdrug stores and through TikTok, The Daily Mail has reported. 

While the direct marketing retailer has historically operated through ‘Avon Ladies’, who would typically go from house to house with a paper catalogue or host their own ‘Avon parties’ to showcase their products, the company has stated it has had to rethink this model in the wake of the pandemic and rise of social media. 

Avon stocking its products in Superdrug is its first ever physical store partnership, as it hopes to reach younger shoppers.   

According to Avon’s MD for Western Europe, Kristof Neirynck, the High Street presence was “the final piece of the puzzle”, after the retailer began selling a limited range of products on Amazon earlier this year. Its younger representatives have also taken to TikTok to entice customers. 

Neirynck told The Daily Mail: “Not everybody wants to shop with representatives, and we need to recognise that. It has definitely shifted. 

“Everyone thought off the back of the pandemic that nobody would ever go into stores but that shifted once lockdown was over. It is the same with direct selling but it is not for everybody.”

He added: “We have all these reps who are really passionate about the brand. We were running the micro-influencer model way back when in an analogue way.”

However, he maintains that the Avon party is not over and there would “always be a place” for face-to-face marketing, citing that in beauty it’s about being able to play with the product.