Avon's door-to-door 'Avon lady' model faded with the internet — then bankruptcy

Avon, founded in 1886, built one of the most recognizable sales models in history: the 'Avon lady,' a door-to-door salesperson who sold cosmetics and personal-care products directly to customers in their homes. For more than a century, that direct-selling model was the engine of the company, employing millions of representatives around the world.

But the model that made Avon famous became its weakness. As shopping moved online and to retail stores, and as fewer people wanted to buy cosmetics from a door-to-door salesperson, Avon's sales declined. By 2014 the company reported its fifth consecutive year of falling global sales, with North American revenue down 18% that year. Avon struggled to adapt its direct-selling model to a digital age.

The decline continued for years. Avon closed operations in some markets, and in August 2024 Avon Products filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, weighed down by lawsuits over talc-based products and years of falling sales. The company that had built an empire on the 'Avon lady' became a cautionary tale about how a once-dominant sales model can fade when the way customers buy changes.