The Industry

A dynamic segment of our economy with 1.3 million Canadian workers associated with it, direct sales 11.2% growth in the last five years – from $1.96 to $2.18 billion – and sustained a 10% to 20% increase over a decade. As a delivery channel, because direct sales isn’t restricted by a permanent retail outlet, consumers can access hundreds of product choices including:

• food and nutritional products
• cosmetics and skin care products
• clothing
• candles
• jewellery
• toys and educational items
• telephone and Internet service

Certainly, while non-store retail is common (catalogues, Internet sales, etc.), direct selling is the only personalized, interactive channel. And, for many who can’t find what they need in local stores, or don’t have Web access – 26% of direct selling consumers live in rural areas and 13% are over 65 in age – direct selling brings them goods they might not otherwise find.

Of the 75+ companies in Canada’s robust direct sales industry, more than 2/3 are DSA members, including global firms with household names such as Amway. Avon, Mary Kay, Nu Skin, PartyLite, Regal Tupperware and USANA to name a few. The industry also represents more than 800,000 Independent Sales Contractors (ISCs) whose sales were more than $2.18 billion.

[For a full listing of what DSA member companies have to offer, click here]