Regional training center among newest advances for Avon
Boxes of Avon products had piled up in Teresa Wedeen's home office as she fielded calls and questions from more than 100 representatives who report to her.
So Wedeen, an Avon representative for 13 years, and her good friend Desi Lee, who also has "Avon ladies" selling under her, took their business to the next level by opening one of the area's first Avon training centers.
Your Avon Connection, at 1691 Town Center St., Suite 104 in Aurora, is designed to support representatives selling products as well as women interested in launching an Avon career.
Training, district sales meetings or recognition celebrations for high-performing representatives are some of the functions taking place at the new, bright facility.
"Representatives can also see new products here," Wedeen said. Avon representatives are franchisees who buy and sell products and return a percentage of the receipts to the company, which handles marketing and inventory.
What distinguishes it from similar direct sales operations is the low entry cost for the entrepreneur. The franchise fee is $10, and Avon does not require representatives to purchase products until after a sale is made, said Lindsay Blaker, Avon public relations manager.
Training centers, like the one in Aurora, are opening worldwide to support the nearly 500,000 representatives who sell Avon. Wedeen explained that the new center is also stocked with Avon merchandise and is open for customers who would like to place an order from the catalog. The women also carry merchandise relating to breast cancer and domestic violence awareness, causes Avon stands strongly behind.
The training centers are another way the 122-year-old company has evolved to address the changing needs of the customer.
The Internet is another area of growth for the company, with representatives operating their own Web sites. About a year ago, Avon began this initiative, providing templates for representatives to personalize and sell products. At least 130,000 representatives have already signed on and manage their own e-pages, Blaker said.
Another outlet that has continued to thrive over the past decade is Avon stores operating in shopping centers. Shirley Ekblad, who has been selling Avon for 23 years, operates a thriving kiosk at Yorktown Center in Lombard. "It's a lot of hours and hard work, but there are so many rewards," Ekblad said.
Other area malls that house Avon stores include Woodfield Shopping Center in Schaumburg, Golf Mill in Niles and Spring Hill Mall in West Dundee.
And as the business models have changed over the years, so has the product. In addition to the well-known bath and beauty lines, Avon also features clothing, products for men, toys and items from NASCAR and Disney.
"It's not your grandma's Avon anymore," Wedeen said.
Avon started when book salesman David McConnell gave small bottles of perfume to New York housewives who listened to his sales pitch. The perfume proved more popular than the books, so he started the company.
Fragrance lines are still big today, according to Wedeen. Popular picks are top French designer Christian LaCroix's new Rouge while for men; Derek Jeter's Driven is hot.
The company founder then started hiring women to sell the perfume door to door. "This gave women the right to gain financial freedom in 1886," Blaker said.
This is still the premise today. Some women turn to Avon for extra spending money, while others are earning a six-figure salary. "The women are in business for themselves, not by themselves," Blaker said.