Avon Products 98943 224304456 2008-07-08T07:01:53Z Pinecar 270890 /* External links */ {{Expand|date=March 2007}} {{Mergefrom|Avon Walk for Breast Cancer|date=November 2007}} {{Infobox_Company | company_name = Avon Products, Inc. | company_logo = | company_type = Public (NYSE: [http://www.nyse.com/about/listed/lcddata.html?ticker=AVP AVP]) | company_slogan = The Company For Women | foundation = [[New York City|New York]], [[New York]] ([[1886]]) | location = [[New York City|New York]], [[New York]] | key_people = [[Andrea Jung]], [[Chairman]] & [[Chief executive officer|CEO]]; Charles Cramb, [[Chief financial officer|CFO]]; Gina Boswell, [[Chief operating officer|COO]] | products = [[Cosmetics]], [[perfume]], toys, clothing | industry = [[Personal & Household Products]]| it was cool homepage = [http://www.avoncompany.com Avon Corporate Website]| revenue = {{profit}}$9.9 billion [[United States dollar|USD]] (2007) }} '''Avon Products, Inc.''' {{nyse|AVP}} is a [[United States|US]] [[cosmetics]], [[perfume]] and [[toy]] seller with markets in over 135 countries across the world and sales of $9.9 billion worldwide as of 2007.<ref>{{Citation | last = | first = | author-link = | last2 = | first2 = | author2-link = | title =500 Largest U.S. Corporations | journal =[[Fortune (magazine)|Fortune]] | volume = | issue = | pages =F-13 | date =May 5, 2008 | year = | url = | doi = | id = }}</ref> Traditionally a [[direct marketing]] company, Avon's fastest growing markets today are in China and Russia. The company's chairman and CEO is [[Andrea Jung]], who was promoted to the position in 1999. Avon uses both [[door-to-door]] sales people ("Avon ladies," primarily) and catalogs to advertise its products. In some markets (most notably China, which had banned all door-to-door selling before mid-December 2006) Avon products are sold primarily in retail stores. Avon's product lines include [[lipstick]]s, [[Foundation (cosmetics)|foundations]], bath and skin lotions, [[anti-aging cream]], perfumes, as well as [[jewelry]] and clothing. Although the company has always been more directed towards female customers, Avon's line of male products continues to expand, and its children's products (such as shampoos and toys) have also proved successful. Two brand diversifications, "mark." (targeted to younger, college-aged women) and "M" (an Avon catalogue for men), have helped the company reach out into markets it has not serviced. {{Fact|date=March 2007}} Mark proved to be successful in reaching a new generation of recruits, primarily young women ages 18-25, with a monthly "[[magalog]]" featuring award-winning products. In addition to its corporate pursuits, the Avon corporation is involved in [[philanthopy|philanthropic]] causes, primarily centered on domestic violence, women's empowerment and health issues such as [[breast cancer]]. In 2007, [[Reese Witherspoon]] signed a multiyear agreement to serve as Avon's global ambassador. The actress will be involved in product development, appear in advertisements, and will serve as the honorary chairman of the Avon Foundation. ==History== [[Image:Avon Anew.jpg|thumb|right|Intensive Age Treatment]] The company was founded in [[1886]] by then 28-year-old [[David H. McConnell]] who sold books door-to-door and gave out perfume to entice women to buy his books. His perfume became so popular that eventually that is all the women wanted. He then founded the '''California Perfume Company''' (CPC) in [[New York City|New York]], [[New York]] in a 500 square foot manufacturing and shipping office at 126 Chambers Street. As the company grew, he hired his first representative, Mrs. P.F.E. Albee. In 1897, McConnell built a small (3000 square foot) laboratory in [[Suffern, New York]]. In 1906, the [[West Coast of the United States|West Coast]] office in [[San Francisco, California|San Francisco]] was destroyed in the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|Great Earthquake]]. In 1914 the first non-US office was opened in the [[Canada|Canadian]] province of [[Province of Quebec|Quebec]]. The California Perfume Company was incorporated on January 28, 1916 by David H. McConnell and [[Alexander D. Henderson (businessman)]] in Suffern, New York. <ref>ProQuest Historical Newspapers The New York Times</ref>. By 1918, five million units were sold in North America, and by 1928, sales reached $2 million. In October, 1939, the name was changed to '''Avon Products, Inc'''. The company was taken public in 1946. By 1954, sales reached $55 million, and the "Avon Calling" [[advertising campaign]] introduced. By 1971 the lab would grow into the Avon Suffern Research and Development facility. By 1979, sales reached $3 billion, with one million direct sales agents. Today sales exceed $8 billion worldwide. In 2005 they opened a $100 million dollar 225,000 square foot R&D facility to house its over 300 research and development scientists on the original site in Suffern, NY. Avon also has offices in [[Luzerne, Pennsylvania]] and [[Davenport, Iowa]]. ==Corporate Officers== Members of the [[board of directors]] of Avon Products, Inc. are: [[Don Cornwell]], [[Edward Fogarty]], [[Stanley Gault]], [[Fred Hassan]], [[Andrea Jung]], [[Susan Kropf]], [[Maria Lagomasino]], [[Ann Moore]], [[Paul Pressler]], [[Paula Stern]], and [[Lawrence Weinbach]]. ==Avon in popular culture== Avon has been featured in the following: *In the [[1983]] film, ''[[Strange Invaders]]'', one of the aliens poses as an Avon Lady. *In [[Amalgam Comics]], the frequent "Avon calling" catchphrase is used by [[Dare The Terminator]]. *The 1990 [[Tim Burton]] film ''[[Edward Scissorhands]]'' features the character Peg Boggs who is an Avon Lady. Avon is also mentioned in the ''[[Animaniacs]]'' parody of that film, ''Skullhead Boneyhands'' with [[Mr. Skullhead]]. *In ''Hannibal'' by Tom Harris, a shotgun which fires a shell filled with lead dust used by the FBI for breaking locks is referred to as "Avon Calling." ==References== <references/> ==External links== {{commons|Category:Avon products|Avon Products}} *[http://www.avon.com/ Avon Store Online] *[http://www.avoncompany.com Avon Corporate website] *[http://www.avoncompany.com/about/firsts.html Avon Company timeline] *[http://www.meetmark.com mark makeup (a division of Avon)] *[http://avon.fundraisingofamerica.com Avon non-profit support] *[http://www.hendersonfamilytree.com/avon.htm hendersonfamilytree.com] {{Cosmetics}} [[Category:Companies established in 1886]] [[Category:Cosmetics companies of the United States]] [[Category:Retail companies of the United States]] [[Category:Companies based in New York City]] [[Category:Personal selling]] [[de:Avon Products]] [[es:Avon Products, Inc.]] [[fr:Avon Products]] [[it:Avon Products, Inc.]] [[ja:エイボン・プロダクツ]] [[pl:Avon (firma)]] [[pt:Avon Products]] [[ro:Avon]] [[fi:Avon Products]]