Avon to open physical shops in the UK for the first time

The cosmetics brand famous for its doorstep slogan "Ding dong, Avon calling!" is about to open physical stores in the UK for the first time.

Women wanted to "touch and experience" the products they were buying, Avon said.

For many years the global beauty giant relied on an army of door-to-door sales reps, who could demonstrate their wares first-hand.

But recently the Covid pandemic accelerated a shift to online sales.

Now, in a change of direction, the 137-year-old retailer is adding physical stores to its arsenal of sales tactics.

As well as the UK, it will launch outlets in Brazil and South Africa. It already has 63 stores in Turkey.

The company is looking for ways to follow women "wherever they spend their time", said global chief executive Angela Cretu, describing the move as an "exciting new chapter".

The UK stores, expected to open over the next two months, would be based in "neighbourhood communities" rather than on traditional High Streets, Ms Cretu said, and would be "mini beauty boutiques" showcasing a selection from Avon's range.

Avon has yet to confirm the number and locations of the new shops.

Avon was established in the US in 1884, but eventually shifted its headquarters to the UK in 2016.

The much-quoted "Ding dong, Avon calling!" advertisement has not been used since 1967. Yet the brand remains closely associated with doorstep sales and with an era of stay-at-home mothers, twinsets and Tupperware parties.

Retail analyst Natalie Berg said, despite its moves on to social media, the Avon brand remained "a little dated".

But Ms Berg said opening stores could be beneficial for the company.

"You can't overestimate the power of human touch and the community you get in a physical store environment," she said, adding that this was particularly true for beauty products, which are still mostly sold in shops.

Ms Berg said Avon would need to get its in-store technology right in order to compete with brands that have invested heavily in virtual and augmented reality, and personalised services supported by digital technology.

But local stores could have a "halo effect", she said, meaning they may play a role in helping customers choose products that they later continue to buy from sales reps and online.

Avon's experience in Turkey suggested that physical stores could boost business for local door-to-door sales reps, who would be offered training to run the new outlets as franchises, the company said.

"We want to give women the opportunity to open a business, especially in areas where it is not so easy for them to launch a start-up," said Ms Cretu.

The company is also expanding its presence in Superdrug stores, following a tie-up in September which saw Avon products sold in selected branches of the pharmacy chain.