Avon
This article was originally published in The Rose Sheet
Executive Summary
Net sales slipped 1.3% to $1.23 bil. in the third quarter, and net earnings fell 39.5% to $41.5 mil, the company announced Oct. 22. Through nine months, net sales rose 2.8% to $3.56 bil., while net earnings dropped 40.6% to $121.9 mil. Avon attributed the sales decrease in part to international economies. "Very strong results" in the U.S., U.K., Brazil and Central Europe were partially offset by a decline in Avon's Russian operations and "continued weakness" in some Asian economies. In the cosmetic, toiletry and fragrance category, Anew Night Force and Anew Day Force did particularly well, Avon said. The number of worldwide active representatives increased 11% in the third quarter. In 1997, the number of worldwide active representatives totaled approximately 2.6 mil