Direct selling companies are employing more Americans than ever before, according to the Direct Selling Association’s 2015 Growth & Outlook Report. The DSA announced the national survey data Monday at its 2015 Annual Meeting in San Antonio.
The results show that the number of individuals participating in direct selling increased 8.3 percent on an annual basis, surpassing 18 million (18.2 million) Americans for the first time. On that increased activity, retail sales volume among U.S. direct selling companies was up 5.5 percent to $34.47 billion.
“Direct selling is alive and well in communities across America and continues to grow at a solid pace, because millions of Americans want employment opportunities that allow them to work the way they want to,” said DSA President Joseph Mariano. “That’s why direct selling remains attractive to so many people—young parents, caregivers, military spouses, veterans, students, retirees and others—who appreciate opportunities to build a business on their own terms.”
The DSA partnered with economic consulting firm Nathan Associates to conduct the survey, based on data from 108 companies.
Wellness products continue to be the biggest sellers in the U.S., with 30.1 percent of total retail sales, climbing from 21.4 percent in 2007. Sales in the services category have also steadily increased, from 19.2 percent in 2010 to 23.1 percent in 2014.
Along with the new data, the DSA released its 2015 Top 20, a list of the leading direct selling companies based on U.S. revenue in 2014. The top companies appear in alphabetical order at www.dsa.org.
