The Top Direct Selling Companies In The World

The Top Direct Selling Companies in the World
Yes, we are ambitious. Direct Selling News and all of the companies in this industry, that is. No challenge is too great. To illustrate this point, DSN created the Global 100, the top direct selling companies in the world, based on 2009 year-end wholesale revenue (in U.S. dollars).
Using data from Lexis Nexis, Hoovers, Dun & Bradstreet,professional researchers, Standard & Poor’s, personal interviews, corporate websites and others, we are proud to offer this list. When verifying data, every attempt was made to reach a company spokesperson to gain input and approvals. This was not possible with all companies. We also unequivocally recognize that research and voluntary reporting cannot provide the entire picture of our industry.Nevertheless, this is one of the industry’s most comprehensive reports assembled. We believe that this will be referenced by other industries, media, private equity investors, academics and researchers in the coming years, just as our other ranking reports have been. The list also sets benchmarks upon which to regard each other.
All of us in the industry are keenly aware of the growing competition, and lookto this list as a confirmation of strength and a challenge to strive for more. While absolutely every company on the list has had obvious success, this formal ranking has further fueled the competitive fire of some companies. “I really believe this annual DSN ranking stokes the competitiveness that is always present in an industry filled with entrepreneurs,” said BK Boreyko, CEO and Founder ofVemma Nutrition Company. “I know with Vemma, as a young company, coming in on the top 100 list is an honor, but it’s also something I put up as a goal—to bust into the top 50 over the next few years. I think these rankings will help every competitive executive in the industry get a much better benchmark for just how effective his company and team’s efforts are.”
That kind of competitiveness hashelped companies and individuals work through the substantial economic challenges of 2009. While economic indicators were on code red all around us, direct selling fared well. With sales ranging from more than $10 billion for our No. 1 entry to around $67 million for No. 100, the direct selling industry once again proves its might.
“Those numbers speak to the fact that a diverse range of directsales companies are thriving, even with the current economic issues facing us today,” said Michael S. McDevitt, Chief Financial Officer of Medifast Inc., parent company of Take Shape for Life. “It says now more than ever, especially with the explosion of social media, that personal relationships are the driving force behind how the public views companies and products and how word-of-mouth reallyshapes the buying decisions people are making.”
In addition to gathering and verifying the data, several trends were revealed through our research. One is that international sales were more important than ever, as stronger national economies could offset unstable ones. “[Our] Malaysian company is the fastest-growing MLM in that country—well in the top 10, with over 8,000 attendees at our mainconvention,” said Graeme Clegg, Chairman of New Zealand-based New Image Intl., whose experience shows that even the Asia-Pacific nations are looking outward and to each other for growth.
Another notable development is that consumers are growing ever more savvy and committed to taking care of their own needs. Brazil-based Natura is helping people do that very thing, and Natura International CEO MauricioBellora said, “Over the last year we’ve experienced very accelerated growth by focusing on bringing life balance and well-being, or what we call ‘bem-estar,’ to our markets that include South America, Central America and France.” New Image Chairman Graeme Clegg also reported, “Science-supported products are essential in today’s more sophisticated market, when anecdotal stories are no longer...