Avon.com branches into Canada as its first foray into non-US EC markets

Avon.com, the Internet retailing arm of Avon Products Inc., the world’s largest direct seller of cosmetics and beauty items, is launching a Canadian e-commerce site. The site, which will go live in early May, will feature more than 1,000 SKUs and have a similar look and feel to the direct marketer’s core U.S. site. Avon sells in more than 100 countries worldwide through a network of more than 4 million independent sales representatives.

Until now, Avon has only sold online in the United States, but the company is using Canada as a test country for expanding into other overseas markets, including Europe, by the end of the year. “We are learning a lot about e-commerce opportunities overseas, and we will start with a site that’s dedicated to our Canadian customers,” says Pattiann McAdams, Avon’s senior director of North America e-commerce.

The new Canadian site will emphasize several of Avon’s best-selling web products, including Cellu Sculpt, a popular anti-cellulite cream, McAdams says. Avon expects its online Canadian customers to mirror the demographics of its U.S. Internet base, which is made up of middle-to upper-income women age 25 to 55.

“Avon.com is a complementary retailing channel for Avon,” McAdams says. “Customers can shop internationally using our brochure and our network of representatives. Now they will be able to do the same online beginning in Canada and then possibly other markets going forward.”