Updated on November 13, 2026
Avon was the first company allowed to sell door to door in China. Two decades later, it has sold its factory, dropped direct selling and passed through two new owners, while Chinese beauty brands took its customers.
Avon in China in 3 figures
| 1990 | USD 47 million | -9.1% |
| Year Avon entered China, as one of the first foreign beauty companies | Pre-tax proceeds from the sale of Avon’s Guangzhou factory to LG Household & Health Care in 2019 | Fall in Herbalife’s China sales in 2024, a sign of the wider decline of direct selling |
Sources: Fashion Network, February 2019; Sina Finance, September 2025.
When Matthieu David analyzed Avon for Daxue Consulting, one section was simply titled “Avon: in danger.” Avon had 6,000 exclusive stores, more than 1,500 department store counters and about RMB 2 billion of sales in China, but its rivals Amway, Mary Kay and Infinitus each sold more than RMB 10 billion a year. Avon’s sales in Asia were falling while its global sales grew.
The danger turned out to be real. In 2019, Avon sold its Guangzhou factory, its first production base in China, to TheFaceShop, a subsidiary of Korea’s LG Household & Health Care, for about USD 47 million (Fashion Network, February 2019). The same year, a global executive said direct selling did not suit the Chinese market, and Avon moved to e-commerce and retail (36Kr, December 2023).
Avon in China: key figures
Exhibit 1: Avon’s path in China
| Date | Event | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Avon enters China | Daxue Consulting’s original profile |
| 1998 | Opens its Guangzhou production base; starts selling through exclusive stores and counters | Daxue Consulting’s original profile |
| 2006 | Receives China’s first direct-selling license | 36Kr |
| 2019 | Sells the Guangzhou factory to LG H&H’s TheFaceShop for about USD 47 million | Fashion Network |
| 2020 | Brazil’s Natura &Co completes its acquisition of Avon (about USD 2 billion) | 36Kr |
| December 2023 | Avon (China) raises its registered capital from USD 16.8 million to USD 41.9 million | 36Kr |
| September 2025 | Natura agrees to sell Avon International (Europe, Africa and Asia) to private equity firm Regent | Cosmetics Business, September 2025 |
Table designed by Daxue Consulting.
Avon had the license, the stores and the name. It did not have a reason for young Chinese women to choose it.
What is new for Avon in China
A new owner, again
In September 2025, Natura &Co agreed to sell Avon International, which covers Europe, Africa and Asia, to the private equity firm Regent. Natura’s chairman called it one of “the final steps of the simplification journey” begun in 2022. For Avon’s Chinese business, it means a third parent in about six years, after Avon Products, Natura and now a financial investor.
A small online business
Avon now sells in China mainly through online stores. In 2023, industry media observed that its best-selling items on Tmall were still the Little Black Dress (小黑裙) line, while most other products sold fewer than 10,000 units (36Kr). Avon has not published revenue for China since leaving direct selling.
A small capital increase
In December 2023, Avon (China) raised its registered capital by about 149%, to USD 41.9 million. Industry observers read it as a sign that Avon still wanted to keep a presence in China, but the amount is small compared with the budgets of leading beauty brands.
Why Avon pulled back
Direct selling lost its appeal. Direct selling in China grew on trust between sellers and buyers, often among friends and neighbors. Social commerce on WeChat, Douyin and Xiaohongshu now offers the same personal touch at a far larger scale. Herbalife’s China sales fell 16.3% in 2023 and another 9.1% in 2024, to USD 298 million (Sina Finance, September 2025).
Reputation damage. In 2008, Avon dismissed several executives, three of them from China, in a bribery investigation. Misleading advertising cases added to the damage, at a time when Chinese consumers were becoming more demanding.
Chinese beauty brands. Brands such as Proya, Chando and Florasis offered modern products, attractive packaging and online marketing at similar prices. Avon’s image, built on mass-market products for mothers, aged quickly.
A parent under pressure. Avon’s global owner struggled for years before its sale to Natura in 2020, then Natura itself cut back. China was never a priority for these owners.
Benchmark: Avon against other direct sellers in China
Exhibit 2: Direct sellers in China
| Company | China position | Recent trend | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avon | First licensed direct seller; left direct selling in 2019 | Small online business, new owner from 2025 | Fashion Network; 36Kr; Cosmetics Business |
| Herbalife | Nutrition direct seller | China sales -9.1% in 2024 (USD 298 million), -7.7% in H1 2025 | Sina Finance |
| Mary Kay | Beauty direct seller, still active | See our analysis of Mary Kay in China | Daxue Consulting |
Table designed by Daxue Consulting.
The whole direct-selling model is under pressure in China. Avon left first; others are adapting through online tools and wellness products. Euromonitor’s latest report on the channel highlights hybrid selling, digital tools and transparency efforts to “restore consumer trust.”
Daxue Take
Avon is a case of a brand that had every early advantage in China and lost them by standing still. Its license and store network were valuable in the 2000s; they became costs when consumers moved online.
- Beauty brands in China need to renew their image every few years. Products associated with the previous generation lose young buyers quickly.
- Direct sellers can keep the personal relationship by moving it to WeChat and private communities, as described in our guide to WeChat marketing, rather than relying on door-to-door sales.
- Frequent changes of ownership weaken a brand in China, where partners and consumers look for long-term commitment.
- A retreat from China can be orderly. Selling a factory to a local or regional player, as Avon did with LG H&H, kept jobs and supply in place.
In China, a first-mover advantage lasts only as long as the brand keeps moving.
FAQ about Avon in China
Is Avon still sold in China? Avon still sells in China, mainly through online stores such as Tmall, after leaving direct selling in 2019. It no longer publishes revenue figures for China.
Why did Avon stop direct selling in China? In 2019, a global executive said direct selling did not suit the Chinese market. Sales had fallen behind rivals, and consumers were moving to e-commerce and social commerce.
Who owns Avon now? Brazil’s Natura &Co bought Avon in 2020. In September 2025, Natura agreed to sell Avon International, covering Europe, Africa and Asia, to the private equity firm Regent.
What happened to Avon’s factory in China? Avon sold its Guangzhou manufacturing facility to TheFaceShop, a subsidiary of LG Household & Health Care, in 2019 for about USD 47 million in pre-tax proceeds.
How is direct selling doing in China? The channel is declining. Herbalife’s China sales fell 9.1% in 2024 and 7.7% in the first half of 2025. Companies are turning to online tools and wellness products.
Avon and Daxue Consulting
Daxue Consulting has followed Avon in China since the brand’s direct-selling years, as well as direct sellers such as Mary Kay and the shift of personal selling to WeChat. For beauty brands, Daxue Consulting conducts consumer research, store and counter checks, interviews with beauty advisors and distributors, and brand positioning studies. Contact our team to discuss a project.
Author: Daxue Consulting
