With this new partnership, Nature’s Sunshine will now supply the Tiger-Cats athletes with its range of nutritional products, including Power Beets, Power Greens and Collagen, to help them enhance their training sessions and overall wellbeing. 

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At the same time, the company also announced the introduction of product launches in Canada and Australia, and a new product suite that includes a collagen-focused wellness formulation and an exclusive skincare range. 

“This is a monumental phase for Bella Grace Global,” said Kristina Kajic, Bella Grace CEO. “Our expansion and new offerings are a testament to our dedication to excellence and our vision for a more inclusive entrepreneurial landscape.” 

The post Bella Grace Unveils Aggressive Expansion Strategy  first appeared on Direct Selling News.

eXp Luxury in Canada will offer luxury certification courses, coaching, masterminds and events, as well as access to a council of experienced eXp Luxury Canadian agents. 

“eXp Luxury agents in Canada stand ready to provide elevated service to clients anywhere in the world, at any time, and join a new era of real estate in Canada,” said Michael Valdes, eXp Realty Chief Growth Officer. “The country’s luxury residential real estate market will now benefit from eXp Realty’s brand and agent-centric model, which incorporates bespoke marketing capabilities and assets.” 

The post eXp Luxury Launches in Canada  first appeared on Direct Selling News.

The company donated 100 percent of every sale from the limited-edition sets to veteran and first responder non-profit organizations in the United States, Canada, the UK, Ireland and Poland.

In a creative social distancing-friendly twist, the check distribution took place virtually via Instagram and Facebook and included members of MONAT leadership as well as representatives from each organization.

“Gratitude is what guides each decision we make at MONAT,” said Lu Urdaneta, chief culture officer, MONAT Global. “The set is about more than self-care, it spreads the MONATitude of Gratitude to all the brave men and women who sacrifice everything to serve their countries and communities. By supporting our first responders and veterans, we are lifting the spirits of them and their families.”

The set featured the fan favorite, More than a Mist fragrant hair and body spray, with a special Gratitude bracelet. Sales from the gift set are donated to organizations that provide necessary services to veterans and first responders that have gone through trauma.

MONAT’s Grateful Every Day Set will benefit the following organizations:

• The Wounded Warrior Project
• The 22 Project
• Operation Gratitude
• Wounded Warriors, Canada
• Blind Veterans UK
• Irish Veterans
• Stowarzyszenie Rannych in Poland

“Many veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury have significantly improved because of the work we all do,” said Alex Cruz, co-founder, The 22 Project. “Having partners and friends like MONAT and MONAT Gratitude is the reason why so many of our veterans, Special Ops and soldiers have a chance at a better life.”

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This is an extension of the first global market Plexus entered, which was followed by Australia and in 2020 will be followed by Mexico.

Plexus selected Calgary for its’ second 3PL Distribution Centre (the first distribution Centre opened in Toronto in March 2018) as part of the next phase of the Canadian expansion. According to the company, this center will support the growing number of customers and Ambassadors in Western Canada.

“The past 18 months have seen our Canadian presence continue to grow and develop,” said Tarl Robinson, chief executive officer of Plexus Worldwide. “According to recent studies, Canadians view eating healthier and exercising more as their top priorities, and Plexus products are the perfect complement to a healthy and happy lifestyle.”

In addition to Plexus’ line of science-based health and wellness products, Plexus’ Nourish One^® initiative will extend into Calgary to bring awareness to child hunger. For every serving sold of Plexus Lean in Canada, Plexus will make a monetary donation to Mary’s Meals, a global child hunger charity that feeds 1.4 million children a day in a place of education.

Plexus launched Nourish One in the U.S. in June 2018 with the program’s U.S. partner Feeding America^® and with Mary’s Meals for Canada, Australia and soon, Mexico.

“Health and wellness continue to evolve in Canada but what remains consistent is the need for products that work,” said Darla Brown, general manager of Canada. “At Plexus, we have years of scientific research and clinical studies that have informed our product development. We are thrilled to bring this commitment to excellence to the Calgary market.”

The post Plexus Expands Distribution in Calgary first appeared on Direct Selling News.

LegalShield Canada is led by President Martine Girotto, who reports to LegalShield CEO Jeff Bell, and is headquartered in Montreal, Canada. The new, expanded plans are available in all provinces and territories.

“Our purpose is to protect and empower individuals, families and small businesses by offering affordable access to legal services, privacy management and identity theft protection through our state-of-the-art mobile apps,” said Bell. “Expansion into Canada is a logical next step in our broader growth strategy, and we are confident that our member-focused culture and unique value proposition will be well-received. We are dedicated to creating a world where everyone can access and afford legal protection, safeguard their livelihood and feel secure that their personal information is safe.”

LegalShield Canada, through its mobile app, offers both free features such as legal forms and answers to common legal questions, plus new premium benefits. The new, enhanced legal plans give members access to their law firm at a fraction of the cost of what most lawyers charge per hour and provide 24/7 access for covered emergencies.

IDShield Canada, through its mobile app, begins monitoring the member’s identity in the deep and dark web immediately upon enrollment so that members will begin to receive credit monitoring and internet monitoring as soon as they sign up, without any further action.

“While LegalShield and IDShield have been highly successful in other markets, our Canadian management team has adapted and customized our business model for this specific market,” said Girotto. “We look forward to providing great service and saving my fellow Canadians thousands of dollars, while putting them onto a path of financial wellness.”

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In April, Instagram began testing the hiding of Likes in Canada, expanding to Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Ireland and Japan in July. In those countries, a post shows just a few names of mutual friends who’ve Liked it instead of the total number. Instagram said the reason for the new feature is to have users concentrate on their posts and interacting with the app, rather than Likes.

Now Facebook has confirmed to online technology news source TechCrunch that it too could soon start hiding the Like counter on posts, and ultimately remove it altogether.

“Personally, while I value Likes from a metrics visibility perspective, I’m always in favor of anything that can cultivate better content creation, storytelling and community engagement.” – John Oates of JPO Digital

“This move by Instagram is meant to put the focus squarely on the quality of the content that users, influencers and brands are sharing,” said John Oates of JPO Digital. “A greater onus will have to be placed on what is being posted and how they are engaging with their communities rather than just the perceived relevance that comes along with a large Like total.”

Engaging Through a Personalized Community

Businesses have long used social media platforms to market their products and one measurement of a marketing campaign’s success has been Likes. The removal of them on Instagram and Facebook will likely force businesses that rely on social proof to measure what value and impact in other ways and to work even harder to deliver stronger content.

Supernova, a Singapore-based social e-commerce company offering health, beauty and fitness products, has created a community on Instagram that allows the company to talk with its audience to ensure that customers stay engaged and trust the brand.

Identifying and developing a community on social media starts with creating personalized content and then taking advantage of the opportunities found with social media influencers. Their strength, says Supernova, is in creating content, and the better content they can create, the more working together with a brand makes sense. In a world without Likes, influencers would be pushed to create not only better content, but more diverse types of content such as videos and Instagram “stories.”

“The Like total is a fundamental part of the infrastructure and user experience, and it will be interesting to see how the community reacts to it being stripped away if this feature does get rolled out site-wide,” said Oates. “Personally, while I value Likes from a metrics visibility perspective, I’m always in favor of anything that can cultivate better content creation, storytelling and community engagement.”

The post Measuring Brand Success Without “Likes” first appeared on Direct Selling News.

“We are very excited that FITTEAM is expanding into the Canadian market,” said CEO Chris Hummel. “We are excited to offer our Brand Partnership program to individuals and families looking for a life-changing opportunity.”  

FITTEAM, which has headquarters in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, pre-launched in October 2014 and officially launched in January 2015. The company has plans to open in Latin America this year, beginning with Mexico, and eventually into Europe.

FITTEAM currently offers three products: FITTEAM FIT, FITTEAM LEAN and FITTEAM HYDRATE. All products are certified USDA organic, non-GMO, vegan, gluten free, soy free and kosher.

The company has partnered with the Houston Astros and Washington Nationals as the title sponsor of the Spring Training Facilities at the FITTEAM Ballpark of the Palm Beaches as well as the FITTEAM Marathon of the Palm Beaches.

The post FITTEAM Global Launches in Canada first appeared on Direct Selling News.

Global direct selling performance since 2015 has added $9.3 billion to the industry overall, which constitutes a 1.7 percent Compounded Annual Growth Rate (CAGR). And in that time, the growth of China as a direct selling powerhouse prompted expectations that the Chinese market would eventually reach the top spot on the Direct Selling News Billion Dollar Market List.

In 2018, estimated retail sales in China barely eclipsed those of the United States, prompting WFDSA to announce a tie for the top spot. While data may be restated later in 2019 as actual sales data becomes available, this represents an anticipated change and could usher in a new era within the global direct selling industry.

Sales Up In 65 Percent Of Global Markets

The top 24 sales-producing countries—the Billion Dollar Markets—comprised 94 percent of $192.9 billion in global retail sales. 2018’s 1.2 percent global growth was driven by regional increases in Asia, the Americas and Africa/Middle East. Europe reported flat sales performance. All told, however, sales in 65 percent of direct selling countries around the world were up.

The industry’s global sales force reached 118.4 million, up 1.6 percent over 2017. Since 2015, more than 13.8 million more individuals have joined the ranks. New sales force segmentation data shows 10.5 million full-time (30+ hours weekly), 42.9 million part-time (up to 30 hours weekly) and 64.9 million who have recently joined; many who join because they love the product and want to purchase at a discount; and others who join but just never become active. Seventy-four percent are female; 26 percent are male.

The Americas 2018 year-over-year performance was up 1.5 percent from a flat 2017, while Asia experienced the largest regional up-tick with 1.8 percent growth. The smaller developing Africa/ Middle East grew 1.4 percent, but Europe declined slightly—0.3 percent.

“We are pleased by the solid growth considering the uncertainties in the overall retail market vis- à- vis online sales. Thus, the numbers were a bit of a surprise and also were a confirmation of the robust nature of direct selling.” —Joe Mariano, President U.S. Direct Selling Association

Regional fluctuation is common with Australia, Taiwan and Thailand losing ground in Asia; Canada and Brazil in the Americas; and Italy, the United Kingdom and Russia dropping within the broader European market in 2018. But there was plenty of growth to offset declines. India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Peru, Colombia, and Poland marked significant growth, as did Argentina’s inflation-fueled escalation of 23.1 percent.

The global industry is on track, believes Tamuna Gabilaia, Executive Director and COO, WFDSA. Economic circumstances produce flat sales in some markets in some years. “If you look at CAGR, where we measure sustained growth of the industry, it was 1.7 percent. This shows sustained growth and that our industry is basically resilient,” she says.

Emerging Markets Expanding Their Global Share

Underway for years is a trend toward global market balance. The trajectory of emerging market sales began rising, while advanced/developed market sales plateaued. Nine years ago, 68.1 percent of sales came from advanced markets, but emerging markets continue to expand their global share of sales.

In 2018, emerging markets made up 42.7 percent of global sales. This overall trajectory of emerging markets will eventually overtake advanced economies, which made up a 57.3 percent share in 2018.

“Everywhere you look, emerging markets or developed markets, people are looking for an additional way to earn income. In the age of the gig economy, a 9 to 5 job is becoming the past and everyone wants to be his or her own boss. Direct selling offers the opportunity for people to do that,” Gabilaia says.

The combined markets of North America and South/ Central America reported $62.4 billion in estimated retail sales for 2018, a growth of 1.5 percent. 2015-2018 CAGR was up slightly at 0.5 percent. The Americas comprised 32 percent of global retail sales with eight Billion Dollar Markets. Cosmetics and Personal Care products hold 34.6 percent of sales; Wellness at 26.7 percent; and Household Goods and Durables a distant third at 12.1 percent. There are 31.0 million independent representatives, down 2.1 million from 2017. This 6.5 percent drop in 2018 follows a loss of 5.8 percent in 2017. All told, sales force reduction since 2015 stands at 3.6 million, due in large part to the re-segmentation of their sales forces by U.S. companies.

Regional data for the Americas are reported together; however, the Americas are split here to better understand each of the distinct markets.

North America

North American direct sales increased in 2018, up 1.1 percent. The United States rebounded from its flat 2017 performance with growth of 1.3 percent and sales of $35.4 billion. However, U.S. CAGR sits at -0.7 percent. Canada produced $1.9 billion in sales in 2018, a drop of 2.4 percent. Despite the 2018 loss, Canada’s 3-year CAGR from 2015-2018 is 1.5 percent.

“New economic trends such as the growth of e-commerce and the collaborative economy show that more than ever, direct selling is a pillar of the retail sector.” — Marie Lacroix, acting Director of Seldia, The European DSA

North American independent representatives number more than 17.8 million, with 16.5 million in the U.S. and just over 1.2 million in Canada. While Wellness is the top U.S. product category at 35.6 percent, Canadians’ largest selling category is Cosmetics and Personal Care items (36.8 percent).

“We are pleased by the solid growth considering the uncertainties in the overall retail market vis-àvis online sales. Thus, the numbers were a bit of a surprise and also were a confirmation of the robust nature of direct selling,” says President of U.S. DSA Joe Mariano.

Like every industry, 2018 posed challenges for the U.S. market ranging from economic to regulatory. Last year produced even more growth with both independent work/gig economy and the U.S. DSA’s work to protect independent contractor status at the federal and state levels.

In 2019, Mariano expects fluctuation in the economy and on the regulatory stage, as independent work and those seeking flexible work schedules continue to expand. “We will continue to ensure direct selling is a strong, viable option for entrepreneurs who seek to make some extra income and enjoy a flexible schedule,” he says.

“This past year, we saw an uptick (2 percentage points) in the share of people involved in direct selling in the U.S. under 35. This is a promising indicator that our industry is maintaining relevancy and appealing to future generations, and it reinforces the optimism we have with our industry projections,” Mariano says. Share among seniors has remained stable.

With strong retail numbers and by further distinguishing full- and part-time sellers from customers, Mariano says, “We are able to see consumers still loving and buying products and services offered by DSA members. We are predicting between 1-3 percent annual growth over the next three years and will see greater focus on customers of direct selling companies.”

“We are predicting between 1-3 percent annual growth over the next three years and will see greater focus on customers of direct selling companies.” —Joe Mariano, President U.S. Direct Selling Association

South/Central America

Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Argentina and Ecuador make up the South/Central American Billion Dollar Markets. Brazil reported the only downturn (-1.5 percent), but all other markets grew in 2018, representing 2 percent regional growth and reporting $25.1 billion in estimated retail sales. This region’s 3-year CAGR is 2.3 percent.

Market performance breakdown is as follows: Brazil ($10.2 billion, -1.3 percent CAGR), Mexico ($5.9 billion, 2.3 percent CAGR), Colombia ($2.5 billion, 1.7 percent CAGR), Peru ($1.9 billion, 5.2 percent CAGR), Argentina ($1.6 billion, 33.4 percent CAGR), and Ecuador ($1.2 billion, 7.8 percent CAGR). It’s important to note that Argentina has a highly inflationary economy.

There are nearly 13.2 million independent direct selling representatives in South/ Central America. Cosmetics and Personal Care products comprise 62 percent of those sales, down from 66.0 percent in 2017.

Forty-six percent of global retail sales are generated in the Asia-Pacific region, which includes 10 Billion Dollar Markets. In 2018, Asia-Pacific sales totaled $89.2 billion with growth of 1.8 percent; 3-year CAGR stands at 1.9 percent.

In 2018, this region added some 4.6 million independent representatives to its direct selling sales force—a total of 69.7 million. This figure comprises some 59 percent of all direct selling independent representatives in the world. 41.2 percent of market sales are Wellness products and 29 percent Cosmetics and Personal Care products.

China is the largest market in the Asia-Pacific region with 2018 estimated retail sales of $35.7 billion, up 2.0 percent over 2017. China accounts for nearly 40 percent of Asia-Pacific’s sales. With estimated growth of 2 percent over 2017 and an estimated 3-year CAGR of 2.3 percent, WFDSA has ranked China in a tie with the United States for the number one spot on 2018 Billion Dollar Markets List. WFDSA estimates nearly 5.6 million Chinese participate in direct selling.

“The millennial generation looking for more entrepreneurial ways of earning is helping to boost the sector’s independent sales force and leading to the development of new, younger customer bases.” —Susannah Schofield, OBE, Director General of U.K. DSA

But the story of the Asia-Pacific region is not limited to China. There are nine other countries on the 2018 Billion Dollar Market ranking: Australia ($1.3 billion, -4.1 percent CAGR), India ($1.5 billion, 10.9 percent CAGR), Indonesia ($1.5 billion, 13.1 percent CAGR), Japan ($15.6 billion, -1.0 percent CAGR), Korea ($18.0 billion, 1.8 percent CAGR), Malaysia ($5.3 billion, 3.7 percent CAGR), Philippines ($1.4 billion, 8.6 percent CAGR), Taiwan ($3.9 billion, 3.2percent CAGR) and Thailand ($2.9 billion, 0.2 percent CAGR).

Direct Selling in Europe comprises a 21 percent share of global sales. Over 14 million people are active in direct selling, with just under 6.9 million located in the European Union. For Europe overall, Wellness accounts for 32.6 percent of sales, Cosmetics and Personal Care for 25.6 percent of sales, and Household Goods and Durables for 14 percent of sales, rounding out the top three European product categories.

“New economic trends such as the growth of e-commerce and the collaborative economy show that more than ever, direct selling is a pillar of the retail sector. The challenge for the coming years will be to adapt our channel of distribution to these new trends, to the rapid digital evolution, as well as to increasingly demanding customers,” says Marie Lacroix, Acting Executive Director of Seldia, the European DSA.

Germany ranks at the top of European Union countries on the Billion Dollar Market list with $17.5 billion in sales—a slight increase of 0.2 percent in 2018 and 2.7 percent CAGR. Poland increased nearly $1.2 billion in sales last year, up 4.5 percent from 2017 with a 2.3 percent CAGR. But the biggest European Union gains were in France with nearly $5.4 billion in sales, up 3 percent year over-year and 3.3 percent CAGR.

Companies operating in France are optimistic and predict growth, as they increasingly adopt multi-channel distribution, adjust to constant digital evolution and new consumer trends, says Jacques Cosnefroy, Executive Director of the French DSA. Italy ($3.3 billion, down 2.0 percent for 2018) and the United Kingdom (nearly $3.6 billion in sales, down 7.6 percent) experienced losses; CAGR stands at 2.0 percent and 0.4 percent, respectively. Giuliano Sciortino, Executive Director of the Italian DSA Avedisco, reports that recruitment difficulties due to a new state welfare legal status, the inability of traditional companies to adjust to new trends and digitalization, and a higher turnover rate among top distributors adversely affected Italy’s sales in 2018.

“Everywhere you look, emerging markets or developed markets, people are looking for an additional way to earn income.”— Tamuna Gabilaia, Executive Director and COO, WFDSA

Susannah Schofield OBE, Director General of the U.K.’s DSA, says the complete withdrawal of a U.S. company from the U.K. market, as well as two companies going into administration tipped their market sales down last year.

However, Schofield adds, “Consumer trends such as the demand for increasingly personalized retail experiences are providing significant opportunities for growth in the sector. In addition, a millennial generation looking for more entrepreneurial ways of earning is helping to boost the sector’s independent sales force and leading to the development of new, younger customer bases. It’s due to such factors that we expect 2019 to be a year of strong growth for many of our member companies, despite challenges such as Brexit.”

Russia, along with the smaller markets of Norway, Switzerland, Turkey, and Ukraine, represents the WFDSA data subcategory “Rest of Europe.” Russia’s nearly $2.5 billion in sales comprises 57 percent of all sales in Rest of Europe and identifies them as this region’s sole Billion Dollar Market. Their 13 percent growth in 2017 was not repeated, as 2018’s estimated retail sales dropped 5 percent. However, CAGR remained fairly steady at 6.1 percent.

The Rest of Europe generated nearly $4.4 billion in estimated retail sales last year, a drop of 1.4 percent and CAGR of 6.1 percent. Independent representative numbers also dropped by 7.4 percent—more than half a million—to 7.5 million. Estimated sales and product category reporting by the five main players in this region is inconsistent. But Cosmetics and Personal Care products rank number one, comprising 43.6 percent of sales in Russia and 65.4 percent in Ukraine. Within the Rest of Europe, Turkey had sales of $585 million in 2018, which makes it a market to watch in the coming years.

The post Billion Dollar Markets first appeared on Direct Selling News.

The company participated in the annual After the Bell event organized by Food Banks Canada, where hundreds of volunteers packed and organized food for donation to families and children in need across Canada.

“Giving back to the community is an essential part of the ‘One Plexus’ culture,” said Darla Brown, general manager, Canada. “I was honored and humbled by the opportunity to be a part of such an incredible event. Health and happiness make up the foundation of what we do and to be able to bring nutrition into people’s lives who need it the most was one the of most gratifying experiences of my career.”

As part of Plexus’ effort to end hunger in Canada, the company donated 15,500 units of Plexus 96, a whey protein snack.

“To learn that we had a partner in Plexus, generously donating over 15,500 bags of P96—which as we learned meant over 197,000 protein snacks—was heart-warming and simply overwhelming,” said Brendan Ennis, director of Development for Food Banks Canada. “The immediacy in which the provinces of Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick asked to be recipients of this donation speaks to the urgent need for this kind of charitable effort. The importance of being able to offer protein to clients who walk through those doors cannot be understated.”

In January, Plexus partnered with Mary’s Meals, a global child hunger charity that feeds 1.3 million children a day. Plexus donated $25,000 to the organization and kicked off an ongoing commitment to making monetary donations for every serving sold internationally from its Plexus Lean product line. Since launching the Nourish One initiative in June 2018, Plexus has donated the equivalent of more than 10 million meals to food banks in the United States.

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