In an online survey conducted by the Direct Selling Association for the United Kingdom (UK DSA), 29% of direct selling consultants working with DSA member companies reported that financial pressures and the rising cost of living sparked their interest in direct selling, with half a million launching their businesses in the last two years.
“The historic image of direct selling may be women earning pin money for spending on inessentials, but the data shows that this is simply not the case any longer,” said Susannah Schofield OBE, Direct Selling Association Director General. “Increasingly people are opting for this style of earning as a way to generate a more significant income but on a highly flexible basis, with significant numbers of people joining since the start of the COL crisis.”
According to the data, for almost half (45%) of respondents, direct selling is now their primary source of income. This occupational shift matches the significant income spike revealed by the survey data. In 2021, direct sellers earned an average of $600 per month. In 2023, that number increased by 73% to $1,040 per month. This new peak earning rate, the UK DSA said, is “thought to be the biggest annual increase in earnings in over a decade.”
This year’s results also showed a rise of people turning to direct selling as a part-time opportunity that can be conducted during traditional school hours, growing from 28% to 38% year over year. The data illuminates, however, that almost half (45%) of UK direct sellers do not have school-aged children, which the UK DSA points to as evidence that it has become a lifestyle choice across demographics.
“A new generation of driven career-women [and men] are professionalizing direct selling, building successful micro-businesses on terms that work for them, whether that be around children, or other commitments and interests,” Schofield said. “As the cost of living continues to rise, direct selling is proving to be a key option for individuals taking control of their financial future in a flexible way that works for them.”
The UK DSA has 52 member companies that drive an estimated $1.25 billion in retail sales each year across consumer goods categories, including skin care, fashion, candles, nutritional supplements, wellness products and more.
