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NBJ's annual analysis of direct sales finds the entry of some high-rollers, a blurring of lines between channels, better use ot the Internet and some welcoming of regulatory scrutiny.
EXCERPT FROM OVERVIEW:
Selling products directly to consumers has become an increasingly attractive marketing channel for vendors of supplements and other natural products. Amid a challenging retail environment plagued by a weakened economy, more companies are adopting strategies to sell products directly to consumers through the Internet, TV shopping channels, radio and television infomercials, catalogs and network marketing.
Whereas five years ago virtually all mainstream supplement manufacturers would scoff at MLMs and infomercials, now its hard to find one not at least considering them as legitimate channels...
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Direct Sales Channels: Overview Article................... 1-6
Royal Numico sells network marketer Unicity to Activated Holdings,
joining Warren Buffet and AOL/Time Warner as recent examples of big investors buying in to
direct sales ..... 7-8
USANA Health Sciences bucks supplement
industry trend with sales up 17% ............. 8-9
Entrepreneurs Low Carb Living and Pure
Prescriptions find innovative niches for
nutrition-based e-commerce sites........ 10-11
Gaiam grows through acquisition and by
expansion into retail stores ............. 12-13
Vital Living positions cardiac supplement Essentum for
practitioner channel ............ 13-14
Younger Yo u, Thunder Ridge Emu Farms and Sun Chorella blend
multiple channels to achieve sales success.............. 15-18
NBTY Inc. acquires GNC stores in the
United Kingdom .................................. 18-19
Supplement manufacturers Natrol Inc. launches Annása network marketing division and Tamsol, a media marketing company
.......................................... 19-20
Quixstar supplants Amway in U.S.; 'health'
expected to become dominant category ..... 21
COMPANIES INCLUDED:
4-Life, Activated Holdings, Alticor, American Emu Assn, America’s MLM Consultants, Amway, Annása, AOL/Time Warner, Atkins, Beauty.com, CHG Allied Inc., Christopher’s Original Formulas, Cloward and Associates, Conscious Media Inc, Custom Nutrition Service, CVS, Direct Selling Association, Drugstore.com, Electronic Retailing Association, FSC, Gaiam Inc, Global Health Sciences, Golden Gate Capital, Green Power, Grimes & Reese , Health & Diet Group Ltd., Health Strategy Consulting, Healthcare Financial Services, Inc., Herbalife, Holland & Barrett, Iagen, Immunocal, Integrated Biopharm, Legacy USA, Leisure Systems International, Low-Carb Living Inc, MAF Nutritionals, Martek, Med-Tech Pharma, Natex Georgia LLC, Natrol Inc., Nature’s Way, NatureSmart, NBTY Inc., NPI Center, NuCycle Therapy, Pampered Chef, Paxis Pharmaceuticals Inc, Pure Prescriptions Inc, Quixtar Inc., QVC, Rexall Showcase, Rexall-Sundown, Royal Numico, ShopNBC, Southern Living At Home, Sun Chlorella Corporation, Sun Chlorella USA, Synergy Plus, Tamsol, Thunder Ridge Emu Farms, Unicity Network, USANA, Vital Living, Vitamin Store, Vitamin World, Whitney & Co., Whole Foods Market, Younger You Inc.
Also featured in this issue: Top Direct Sales Companies Ranked by U.S. Net Supplement Sales in 2002
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