When you think of cosmetics, a jumble of names come to mind. It seems many successful cosmetics firms were named after their founders: e.g., Mary Kay, Estée Lauder and Dior. A few others names like Lancôme and L’Oréal aren’t representative of any one person but everyone knows that most things sound better in French. However, there is one giant in the beauty industry that has lasted for 140 years with a simple name that is hard to forget: Avon. It was and remains perhaps the most successful door-to-door sales platform of all time, and its history is interesting, too. Let’s explore.
The company was founded in 1886 by David McConnell, a door-to-door book salesman who walked the streets of New York selling his wares. Part of his shtick was giving out free perfume samples, and he realized after a time that his mostly female customers were more interested in perfumes than books. Recognizing the power of personal selling, he pivoted, changing the company’s name to the California Perfume Company and hiring Persis Foster Eames (“PFE”) Albee, a 50-year old mother of two to become the first Avon Lady. In addition to being a dynamo saleswoman, PFE trained dozens and maybe even hundreds of women to become direct-to-consumer Avon sellers. As much as anyone, PFE was largely responsible for the company’s subsequent success.
Over the next 40 years, the firm expanded exponentially, growing to include a nationwide network of personal sellers and adding a variety of powders and creams to its lineup. In 1939, McConnell changed the company’s name to Avon Products as a nod to Shakespeare’s hometown of Stratford-upon-Avon. The two decades following World War II were golden ones for Avon as more and more women, having tasted the fruits of employment opportunities created during the war, signed on as salespeople during the robust midcentury era.
In 1954, the company created a cultural icon with its cheerful “Ding-dong, Avon calling!” television commercials at a time when TV viewership was also booming. It was a heady time to be an Avon Lady.
Following its international expansion during the late 1950s, Avon began to sense that its biggest growth markets were overseas. As cosmetic brands proliferated and brick-and-mortar stores opened everywhere in the USA, Avon concentrated its efforts on foreign markets. Today some 88% of Avon’s nine billion dollars in annual sales come from outside the USA, and the firm manages a worldwide sales force of more than five million independent operators.
Nonetheless, sales have declined steadily in the modern era, resulting in a string of mergers, acquisitions and in 2024 a Chapter 11 bankruptcy. A highly controversial animal testing program and a long-running corruption scandal have not helped.
Despite the setbacks, Avon Products continues to operate today, but only time will tell if it can regain some of its former momentum. In the meantime, a collectibles market has grown up in vintage Avon items, especially scented products reminiscent of an earlier era. Galleries like ours often have a few, and you can find them at vintage stores and flea markets with some regularity. They’re generally not expensive, and you’ll be hooked after one whiff of their gentle aromas. I certainly was.
Finally, a personal word of thanks. My wife and I have operated Antique Galleries of Palm Springs for the past dozen years, but this Tuesday will be our last day in business. The torch is being passed to our daughter Danny, who will be taking over our space with offerings more directed towards a younger generation. However, this column will continue as always and there’s a new venture in the works, so stay tuned! In the meantime, please know and accept our heartfelt gratitude for your enormous support over the years. We’ve hugely appreciated it.
Mike Rivkin and his wife, Linda, are long-time residents of Rancho Mirage. For many years, he was an award-winning catalogue publisher and has authored seven books, along with countless articles. Now, he’s the owner of Antique Galleries of Palm Springs. His antiques column appears Sundays in The Desert Sun. Want to send Mike a question about antiques? Drop him a line at silverfishpress@gmail.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: How do you spell ‘hope’? Avon products
Reporting by Mike Rivkin, Special to The Desert Sun / Palm Springs Desert Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Mike Rivkin, Special to The Desert Sun | USA TODAY Network
