Founded | 1996
Headquarters | Dallas, TX (U.S. Headquarters)
Top Executive | Alejandro Litchi, CEO
Product Category | Jewelry
For more than 80 years, the Litchi family has been designing and crafting beautiful, internationally inspired jewelry for women and men. The factory exports jewelry pieces throughout 27 countries worldwide. The family launched NICE de Mexico in 1996, with a vision to share their jewelry collection through independent distributors looking to build their own businesses. Today, the next generation of the Litchi family is growing the company by expanding into new international markets, while still preserving the handcrafted quality and exclusive designs NICE is known for.
Inspired by Family
For the Litchi family, jewelry design and manufacturing runs deep within their blood. Salvador Litchi spent his childhood watching his father, Don Mateo Litchi, craft raw materials into timeless pieces of jewelry.
As a young man, Salvador followed in his father’s footsteps and began a jewelry business of his own. But as the cost of precious metals and gems rose, Salvador shifted his business model, designing more affordable jewelry that had the same timeless look as the pieces his father used to create. Tapping into the power of direct sales, Salvador launched a new company, NICE de Mexico, leading a factory of jewelry designers and manufacturers and building a sales field of independent distributors across Mexico.
A new generation now leads the family business, with Alejandro Litchi serving as Chief Executive Officer, but the original vision to offer a business opportunity sharing affordable, handcrafted jewelry remains.
“NICE was founded in Mexico with the vision of offering people an opportunity to have an income,” Alejandro said. “We launched with a very simple catalogue-based method of selling jewelry, which was especially attractive for those who had lost their jobs and needed income.”
After nearly 25 years of success in Mexico, sharing NICE’s signature jewelry through over 500,000 independent distributors, the Litchi family launched NICE & BELLA in 2016 to serve the U.S. market.
Dazzling the American Market
Since launching in the United States seven years ago, the company has experienced tremendous growth—especially in the field. Today, NICE and NICE & BELLA have a combined field of over 1.5 million independent distributors across Mexico and the United States.
The business opportunity is easily accessible to aspiring entrepreneurs through two business kits: The Starter Kit for $99 and The Inspire Kit for $199. Both equip the new distributor with everything they will need to launch their NICE & BELLA business, including beautiful jewelry.
“We support our independent distributors with training and digital tools including the best of technology to grow their businesses,” Alejandro explained. “Our team keeps looking for technologies and continuous development tools to offer our independent distributors. People interested in becoming independent distributors of NICE and NICE & BELLA are mainly women, though more and more men have found a friendly environment here to develop their skills and business.”
Distributors share NICE & BELLA’s gorgeous collection of jewelry for women, men and children, including necklaces, earrings, bracelets, brooches, charms and watches. The company’s catalog has recently expanded to include essential oils, aromatherapy and diffusers, as well as sunglasses and a selection of teas.
“We are constantly renewing what we offer to our independent distributors and their customers,” Alejandro said. “Four catalogs are being launched every year along with a wide variety of exclusive items, including jewelry, accessories and wellness products. Additionally, we offer seasonal items throughout the year.”
Since the beginning, NICE has always designed and manufactured all its jewelry pieces in house, giving their distributors access to exclusive designs customers can’t find anywhere else.
“Our factory employs more than 3,000 people in charge of exclusive jewelry designs, handcrafting and high-tech processes,” Alejandro shared. “We’re producing 500,000 pieces daily. There are no middlemen at any point of our processes: from creating a design, manufacturing and selling our pieces. Only our independent distributors from NICE and NICE & BELLA are sharing our products, so the economic benefit directly goes to them. It is important to mention that 1,500 collaborators in our distribution centers, warehouse and corporative offices are in charge of offering an excellent service to facilitate the tasks of our independent distributors.”
Meaningful Growth
Even in the face of pandemic uncertainty, NICE and NICE & BELLA continued to grow. In 2020 and 2021, the company responded with investment, rather than waiting out challenges. Leadership invested in technology, processes, manufacturing and training, working closely with distributors to help them feel supported and optimistic.
“We rapidly adapted our operation to serve with our independent distributors to come out of the pandemic crisis,” Alejandro said. “This was done successfully and led to very important growth. Our team members support our independent distributors. We know what they require and do our best to meet their needs in the most agile way. We count on their trust, since we are focused on making their businesses grow. We also have a professional, fully committed, close team of corporate team members with very low turnover.”
The growth that began with the launch of NICE & BELLA and continued through the pandemic has no signs of slowing down, as the field continues to grow.
“Eight years ago, we used to have under 500,000 independent distributors and now we’ve got more than a million and a half,” Alejandro shared. “We’ve rewarded more than 3,200 cars in the last five years and more than 20,000 people have joined us on international trips. We are in search of more families that have the chance to have a source of income, taking them to fulfill their dreams.”
The company has primary operations in Mexico and the United States and is currently expanding into new territories, with operations recently launched in Central America.
NICE is expanding its reach in other ways as well, through its work with The NICE Foundation. Founded in 1999, The NICE Foundation is the company’s nonprofit organization that supports social, educational and healthcare projects supporting children in disadvantaged communities.
“We founded The NICE Foundation with the mission of supporting the neediest children,” Alejandro shared.
“NICE contributes with important donations to helping children, as well invites all our independent distributors to add in our efforts to improve the life of childhood in different locations within Mexico, donating hundreds and thousands of dollars. Additionally, as natural disasters occur, the NICE Foundation has responded to the call of authorities by helping those in need.”
The most significant growth of NICE and NICE & BELLA has occurred in recent years, and Alejandro Litchi is now part of the hit TV show Shark Tank, where his talent to promote entrepreneurs in Mexico is widely acknowledged.
With a legacy as beautiful as the jewelry it designs, the Litchi family is eager to continue sharing NICE and NICE & BELLA with new communities in new markets around the world.
From the May 2023 issue of Direct Selling News magazine.
