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SeneGence Launches in New Zealand

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SeneGence International® announced that it has launched in New Zealand.

The opening of the new market for the global beauty brand featured a two-day event that included a welcome reception and meet-and-greet with founder and CEO Joni Rogers-Kante; Philippe Guerreau, president of SeneGence; and Chris Simonian, chief sales and development officer.

SeneGence’s top-level distributors from around the world were also in attendance offering presentations and product demonstrations. On the second day of the grand opening event, new distributors were offered hands-on training with Rogers-Kante.

“SeneGence’s global expansion is bringing our products and distributor opportunities to millions of women worldwide,” said Rogers-Kante. “It’s an incredibly exciting time for the company. We have exceeded our registration expectations. I love that so many people came out to celebrate SeneGence New Zealand. I’m pleased to welcome distributors to our SeneSisterhood.”

SeneGence, which launched in Mexico last November, is known for LipSense®, the long-lasting lip color, as well as a full line of anti-aging cosmetics and skin care products formulated for a variety of skin types. The company recently launched its hair care line, SeneGence HairCovery™, which consists of a shampoo, conditioner and serum that the company says are designed to work together to revive dull, lifeless hair.

6 Retail Tech Trends That Go Beyond Competing Against Amazon

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According to a recent article by Forbes, technology to compete against a disruptive Amazon will continue to be central to the retail play of 2019.

However, it isn’t the only thing driving what will makes retailers’ tech shopping list. While you can expect to see more holographic 3D images at malls and stores to wow you, the following six trends from last week’s National Retail Federation’s annual “Retail’s Big Show” will have a more lasting impact.

More cloud-connected machines, part of the IoT (Internet of things) buzz, are coming to stores.

As Starbucks baristas gave out free samples at a makeshift coffee station inside a Microsoft booth, screens behind them displayed data like how many cups the machines had brewed. This arrangement was no coincidence: Starbucks has teamed up with Microsoft to connect its coffee and other machines to the cloud via Microsoft’s Azure Sphere IoT system.

Why is this initiative relevant? When Starbucks introduces a drink recipe, it would now be able to remotely update all its connected devices, a faster alternative to manually delivering a USB drive that’s inserted into the machine hardware before a barista can make that new espresso drink, for instance, a Microsoft spokesperson said at the booth. Starbucks also can instantly track and aggregate sales and other data and see what’s popular with consumers when and where.

Starbucks said the move also will give its employees more opportunity to engage with customers and can help with “beverage consistency, waste reduction, the management of energy consumption and predictive maintenance.”

While Starbucks has been late and didn’t start its “migration to the cloud” until about three years ago, it has been working with its Seattle neighbor closely to help with the transition.

Yes, Amazon Go is about to change the way we shop.

Amazon Go has received generally very positive consumer feedback, forcing the rest of the industry to play catch up. At the Intel booth, for instance, a cashierless store concept and a smart vending machine the chip giant developed with China’s e-commerce retailer JD.com for that market were showcased. A JD.com spokesperson said the company traveled to the show with the intention to explore licensing its cashierless technology to U.S. and other retailers.

Expect to see more retailers seeking to come up with their own Amazon Go-like cashierless experience for you.

More robots will become fulfillment centers’ model employees.

With Amazon’s 100,000-plus robotic drive units a big part of its fulfillment-center secret sauce, rivals are eager to employ their own robots to help fulfill growing online orders faster.

Tompkins Robotics, for example, has introduced its own t-Sort robotic drive units that can sort individual items to help retailers cut the order processing time. Four of the top 15 U.S. retailers are its customers, Tompkins Robotics President Mike Futch said, declining also to specify.

To be sure, Tompkins’ robotic unit is different from Amazon’s, which has the ability to move and navigate an entire shelf of a mix-match of products.

On shopping floors, drones join robots as new store employees.

2019 will continue to be the year when retailers seek to use technology to free store employees from menial tasks so they can spend time instead servicing customers. Retailers also want to use tech to help track what’s missing and misplaced on shelves and better keep inventory in stock. At the Intel booth for instance, Pensa Systems showcased drones that track store-shelf inventory for customers including beverage giant AB InBev.

Meanwhile at Giant Food Stores, the supermarket chain this year will deploy a “googly-eyed” robot, which it named Marty, to all of its 172 stores after a successful pilot that had Marty inspect its floors to make sure there are no “hazards” like spills.

With increased online spending, delivering on experience when shoppers actually visit a brick-and-mortar store is more crucial than ever.

Making the cost of returns less painful to stomach.

With increased global online sales also come increased returns, and retailers are seeking help to handle that process.

For instance, four-year-old ZigZag, which counts Topshop and Gap customers, has built a network of 200 warehouses in 130 countries to handle cross-border returns. That includes helping retailers grade the returned item’s quality, retag, relocate, bulk ship and resell products.

What’s at stake isn’t just the cost and time returns take. For the fashion industry, the ability to turn around a return and resell it while in season could reduce the steep clearance risk later. And with more brands selling internationally, there’s the opportunity to sell a returned Topshop swimsuit in the winter in Europe by bulk shipping it with other items for sale to Topshop customers in Australia, for instance.

B-Stock, a liquidation marketplace platform for retailers including Amazon and, said in December that one out of every three people would return a holiday gift, translating to what it estimated would be $90-$95 billion worth of returns post-holiday.

Your local store shelves are getting digital, and it’s not just about cutting paper tag costs.

While more retailers are looking to turning their shelves digital to save the time and paper tag costs on traditional price promotions updates, Kroger is working with Microsoft to give its digital shelves more bells and whistles. At two Kroger test stores, the shelves will connect with Kroger’s scan-and-go shopping app to guide customers through their shopping list. They can also flash lights to give employees visual cues to help them pick and fulfill curbside delivery orders quickly. Kroger also plans to turn its shelves into digital advertising space for CPG brands.

Kroger, through its own Sunrise Technology unit, has said it also is seeking to license its in-house built digital shelf and other technologies to even fellow rival retailers.

With Amazon—and fickle consumers—keeping retailers on their toes, thinking outside of the box for new growth opportunity will be the new industry norm.

Nearly 20% of Entrepreneurs Work with Family Members

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According to the 2018 Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) Report, nearly 20 percent of the world’s entrepreneurs are working with family members.

The report, sponsored by Babson College, Universidad Del Desarrollo and Korea Entrepreneurship Foundation, also stated that 6 percent of individuals aged between 18-64 in 27 countries are part of the gig economy and the sharing economy.

“The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor Global Report shows that the global economy nourishes entrepreneurs of all kinds,” said coauthor and Utrecht University Entrepreneurship Associate Professor Niels Bosma. “There is a lot of media attention for innovative startups; however, entrepreneurial employees, family business entrepreneurs and small-scale established entrepreneurs also play a key role in national and local economies. This year, GEM results also confirmed that entrepreneurial activity in the gig and sharing economy is substantial in all parts of the world.”

Added coauthor and Babson College Entrepreneurship Professor Donna Kelley, “It might not be a surprise that many businesses are family owned, particularly when we see them every day in our communities and read about large family-owned corporations in the news. Nevertheless, to our knowledge, this is the first global study of family involvement in the startup phase. The results illustrate the extent entrepreneurs rely on family members to get their businesses off the ground.”

GEM highlights included:

  • Nearly 1 in 5 entrepreneurs are starting businesses that will be owned and/or managed with family members, in the 47 economies assessing family business activity. Colombia, the United Arab Emirates, and Uruguay reports the highest level of family-based entrepreneurship, accounting for over one-third of entrepreneurs.
  • The highest rate of involvement in gig/sharing economy activities, measured in 27 economies, is in the Republic of Korea (over 20 percent of the adult population). Israel, Chile, Ireland and the United States also report high rates of involvement in the gig and sharing economy, with over 10 percent of the adult population engaging in these activities. This new international comparison shows that involvement in gig/sharing economy activity is significant across the globe.
  • GEM has introduced a composite index, the National Entrepreneurship Context Index, which assesses the environment for entrepreneurship in an economy. The NECI is derived from the 12 framework conditions and weights the ratings on these conditions by the importance experts place on them. Qatar, a high-income country in the Middle East, receives the highest NECI ranking, following by Indonesia and Netherlands. An examination of the top-ranked economies illustrates the importance of having healthy conditions across all aspects of the environment affecting entrepreneurship. The NECI results in this report represent an inaugural effort to inform policy, practitioner, and other key stakeholder audiences, about the strength of their overall environment for entrepreneurship.
  • Technology vs Wholesale/Retail: In every low-income economy, wholesale/retail businesses account for more than half of their entrepreneurs. In contrast, in half of the high-income economies, nearly 50 percent or more of the startup activity is in service or technology industries.
  • The report examines societal attitudes about entrepreneurship, which can indicate the extent there are potential entrepreneurs and support for this activity. In three countries in Europe (Netherlands, Poland and Sweden) about three-fourths of adults state it is easy to start a business in their countries, the highest of the 49 economies studied. In Netherlands and Poland, in addition to Turkey, Thailand, Guatemala and Madagascar, over 80 percent of people think entrepreneurship is a good choice of career. Thailand also shows the highest level of media attention for entrepreneurs with 87 percent of adults stating that entrepreneurs are represented positively in the media. In Sweden, 82 percent of adults believe there are many opportunities around them for starting businesses, the highest level across the entire sample.

To read the full report, click here.

Avon Launches Two-Hour Delivery Service in Brazil

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Avon Products, Inc. (NYSE: AVP) announced the launch of a new partnership with Rappi, an on-demand delivery service.

In the initial pilot more than 100 Avon products will be available for two-hour delivery through selected Avon Representatives to customers in São Paulo in Brazil, and Bogotá and Medellin in Colombia.

The partnership with Rappi will enable Avon Representatives in the pilot group to deliver a rapid, high-quality and responsive experience to customers in Brazil, Avon’s largest market and one of the biggest beauty markets in the world. Consumers can order online with a two-hour fulfilment option, thereby allowing Avon’s Representatives to provide a personal, high-quality and differentiated customer experience to their communities.

Rappi has over one million subscribers in Brazil, and a growing presence across South America. The pilot service is expected to expand to other cities within Brazil and to major cities in Argentina, Chile and Mexico during the first half of 2019.

“We’re delighted to be trialing this partnership with Rappi to provide a really easy way for our top-selling Representatives to serve their customers better and faster,” said José Vicente Marino, executive vice president and general manager of Avon Brazil. “It isn’t just a delivery solution but potentially a whole new approach to connect with consumers. We look forward to seeing the results as the pilot expands.”

The partnership represents one element of the transformation plan to “Open Up Avon” by improving access to Avon products for customers anywhere, anytime. With a new focus on transforming and expanding the e-commerce experience for its customers, Avon is becoming a digital-first, fast-beauty brand to respond to changing demand from customers looking for faster access to new beauty products.

“This is an exciting step in our efforts to open up Avon to new strategic partnerships to better serve our customers, support our Representatives and grow our business,” said Jan Zijderveld, Avon’s chief executive officer.  “We expect to scale this and similar delivery services to meet the current and future expectations of our Representatives and their customers. This is just one example of how we’re transforming Avon, and we aim to make similar services available far more widely in 2019.”

Plexus Partners with Mary’s Meals to Combat Global Hunger

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Plexus WorldwideTM announced a new international partner for its Nourish One™ Initiative to combat hunger across the globe—Mary’s Meals.

Starting in January Plexus will make a monetary donation for every serving sold internationally of its new Plexus Lean™ product line to Mary’s Meals, a global child hunger charity that feeds 1.3 million children a day. In addition, Plexus announced a $25,000 donation to Mary’s Meals that will provide nearly 250,000 meals for children through Mary’s Meal’s community-run school feeding programs.

“Plexus is thrilled to launch this new partnership with Mary’s Meals to help combat child hunger in the world’s poorest communities,” said Tarl Robinson, Plexus founder and CEO. “Our initial donation is just the beginning, and with thousands of Plexus Ambassadors in Canada supporting this noble cause through the sale of Plexus Lean Whey and Vegetarian meal replacement shakes, we believe we can make a real difference.”

Mary’s Meals works with community volunteers to set up school feeding programs across 17 of the world’s most impoverished countries including Malawi, Liberia, Kenya, Syria, Haiti, Thailand and India. Children are encouraged to attend school to learn and get a meal, instead of working or begging for food.

“We are excited to partner with Plexus and its Canadian Ambassadors to bring new awareness to the 61 million hungry children in poverty-stricken communities around the world,” said Patty Burns, Director of Corporate Partnerships for Mary’s Meals USA.

Since launching the Nourish One initiative in June 2018, Plexus Charities, the company’s philanthropic organization, donated the equivalent of more than 4.5 million meals to Feeding America, the nation’s largest organization dedicated to fighting domestic hunger through a network of food banks. That commitment is on-going through Lean sales in the United States.

Nerium International Rebrands as “Neora”

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Nerium International is changing its name to Neora™ as part of a global rebrand that reflects the company’s evolution as a relationship marketer and vision as an anti-aging industry leader.

Neora announced the change during its “History in the Making” event on January 10. The transition to Neora will become official on February 1. The new Neora will have a fresh, modern look as well as an improved, forward-thinking compensation plan that rewards its Independent Brand Partners for building their businesses and acquiring customers.

“Neora represents a new beginning for us as a company,” says Neora Founder & CEO Jeff Olson. “We’re taking all of the experience we’ve gained in the previous seven years, hitting the reset button, and creating something even better.”

When Nerium International launched in 2011, the company name was associated with an ingredient (nerium oleandrin extract) in its first product. Now that the company has expanded internationally to offer a wide range of holistic innovative age-fighting skincare and wellness products that use advanced technology, the name no longer applies.

“Neora” is symbolic of a new aura, or new energy, and represents a more comprehensive direction the company is taking in its product offerings and global expansion. “The new name of Neora better describes what we are as a company now, and where we expect to go in the next several years,” Olson says. “We have evolved into a company that is so much more than one ingredient.”

Isagenix Legacy Foundation Awards $665,400 in Grants

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The Isagenix Legacy Foundation recently announced that it is awarding its first round of grants, totaling $665,400, to 16 U.S.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofits.

The nonprofits selected align with the Foundation’s mission to provide healthy nutrition and support for underserved children, wellness education for all and aid for those affected by natural disasters. Located in Arizona, California, Georgia, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan and Montana, they serve people in communities as far away as Kenya.

“Through their compassion, dedication, and hard work, these 16 organizations have changed thousands of people’s lives,” said Isagenix Chief Executive Officer Travis Ogden. “The Isagenix Legacy Foundation is honored to help them expand their reach and efforts so that together, we can make the greatest impact possible on the people and communities they so diligently serve.”

The 16 grants range from $5,000 to $100,000. Four nonprofits are receiving $100,000 grants:

The foundation is also helping those in need by facilitating product donations totaling $200,000 in retail value to several food banks across the United States.

EDC Q3 2018 Revenue Up 4%; Usborne Books Up 2.3%

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Educational Development Corporation (NASDAQ: EDUC) recently announced record net sales of $40.4 million for the third quarter ended November 30, 2018.

CEO Randall White announced that for the fiscal third quarter ended November 30, 2018, the company had net revenues of $40,482,600, an increase of $1,572,700, or 4.0 percent, when compared to $38,909,900 for the third quarter of the previous year.

The company’s direct sales division, Usborne Books & More (UBAM) continues to be the largest operating segment of the business. Net revenues of this division for the third quarter ending November 30, 2018 were $37,321,300, an increase of 2.3 percent from $36,470,300 reported in the third quarter ended November 30, 2017. The average number of active direct sales consultants decreased 900, or 2.9 percent, to 30,200 for the quarter ended November 30, 2018, over the average active consultant count in the third quarter of last year.

The company’s year-to-date net revenues in the first three quarters of the fiscal year totaled $95,185,900, an increase of $5,147,900, or 5.7 percent, from $90,038,000 reported in the same period last year.

“During this quarter we saw increased sales activity from our active consultants and also experienced the return of net sales from our Publishing division to historical levels,” said White. “The growth in the active consultant count of our UBAM Division has been challenged over the past few quarters, as has the entire direct selling industry, which has experienced a multi-year decline. Our sales increase, while modest, reflects a much more positive result when compared to the overall industry statistics.”

Avon Selected for 2019 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index

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Avon Products Inc. announced its inclusion in the Bloomberg Gender–Equality Index (GEI), which distinguishes companies committed to transparency in gender reporting and advancing women’s equality.

As one of 230 companies selected, Avon achieved above-benchmark scoring across 67 criteria in a survey, which awards points for disclosure and examples of best-in-class practices for investing in women.

Avon has been selected in its first year of entry and is proud of the opportunity to showcase its gender equality efforts in the GEI. Empowering women is part of Avon’s DNA and in 2014 the company launched its multi-year Global Women’s Strategy, making a conscious effort to raise the bar for female employees across its global organization. Through this data-driven strategy Avon has embedded a robust pay equity process, advanced a culture of flexible working, enhanced benefits and support for working parents and put in place programs to help women fulfil their potential and move into roles or functions where women are not so well represented.

“We are proud of our reputation of being a great place to work, particularly for women, and are very happy to see this reflected with our inclusion in the Bloomberg Gender–Equality Index for 2019,” says Jan Zijderveld, chief executive officer. “However, there is always more we can and should continue to do. What gets measured gets done so this benchmarking program helps us to continually raise the bar and make progress when it comes to gender equality and broader diversity and inclusion. It’s crucial to business growth.”

“We applaud Avon and the other 229 firms tracked by the index for their action to measure gender equality through the Bloomberg GEI framework,” said Peter T. Grauer, chairman of Bloomberg and founding chairman of the U.S. 30% Club. “Avon’s GEI inclusion is a strong indicator to its employees, investors and industry peers alike that it is leading by example to advance ongoing efforts for a truly inclusive workplace.”

Disclosures from firms included in the 2019 GEI provide a wide-ranging and comprehensive look at how companies around the world are investing in women. According to GEI data there was a 40 percent increase in executive-level positions between fiscal years 2014 and 2017, 60 percent of firms conduct compensation reviews to identify gender-based variations in pay, and 34 percent have programs in place to recruit women looking to return to work after a career break.

USANA-sponsored The Dr. Oz Show Now in China

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USANA, a trusted sponsor of The Dr. Oz Show, recently announced that the 10-time Emmy® award-winning program is now being distributed in China.

Aofei Media now distributes new episodes of the s with Chinese subtitles. On December 25, 2018, it became available on digital platforms, including Youku, Tencent Penguin, iQiyi, Sohu Video and Sina Weibo.

The Dr. Oz Show (WeChat: “Doctor Oz” Sina Weibo: “Oz Doctor”), is broadcasted to an estimated 35 million viewers weekly in 215 markets around the world, will help the Chinese audience find enjoyable paths to health by providing preventive medicine and care information.

“With a large part of USANA’s business in China, we know how important this market is and how inquisitive and conscious they are about health,” says Dan Macuga, USANA’s chief communications and marketing officer. “Having The Dr. Oz Show broadcast digitally in China is a huge step forward. I know the show will be well received and will provide the audience with new and compelling health information.”

USANA has been a Trusted Sponsorship Partner of the show since 2015 and has had a long-standing relationship with Dr. Mehmet Oz through his foundation, HealthCorps®.

“”The big battles for improved health are won in our homes, especially in our kitchens,” said Dr. Oz. “We can share healthy lifestyle decisions that will benefit all our viewers and their families.”

Earlier this year, Dr. Oz completed a multi-day trip to China where he filmed show segments at the Lama Tibetan Temple and the Great Wall of China. He also spoke to nurses at the Beijing University Medical Center to express his appreciation for their profession and all they do. While at the Dafu Traditional Chinese Medicine Clinic, Dr. Oz learned how herbs are used for patients and had a moxibustion treatment he taped for his show.

Dr. Oz also visited USANA Baby Care’s Chinese headquarters in Beijing, where he witnessed world-class efforts to produce their well-respected nutritional products.

Episodes dedicated to his recent trip to China will be broadcast later in 2019.

Market Potential for Ready-to-Drink CBD Beverages

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Recent reports by Canaccord Genuity indicate the market for cannabidiol (CBD) beverages could achieve a value of $260 million in the United States by 2022.

CBD beverages form part of an even wider market for marijuana-infused drinks that is predicted to reach a value of $600 million in three years’ time.

  • U.S market for CBD and THC beverages could reach $600 million by 2022.
  • Cannabis-infused drinks could outperform other cannabis products.
  • Non-cannabis and cannabis companies alike are joining this new market.

Canaccord Genuity reports indicate that cannabis and CBD-infused beverages have the potential to outperform cannabis products, reaching up to 20 percent of the market for cannabis-containing consumables by 2022.

“While these trends represent a significant opportunity for U.S. cannabis companies, they have not gone unnoticed by large mainstream beverage players looking to inject growth into their product portfolio,” said Canaccord analyst Bobby Burleson, who also predicts that ready-to-drink CBD beverages will form part of the growing market for wellness drinks.

Savvy companies are looking to position themselves in this burgeoning market, often by partnering with companies that provide invaluable experience in the sector. Youngevity International Inc. (NASDAQ: YGYI) recently announced it has formed a cross-marketing agreement with Icelandic Glacial™, a bottled spring water company in Iceland, which will see the pair develop new products including a ready-to-drink CBD beverage.

Youngevity first entered the $7.7 billion cannabis industry with the introduction of its Hemp FX™ brand in October 2018. The development of a ready-to-drink CBD beverage will be the first of the partnership’s potential new products. Future ideas may include possible special products for a range of markets based on CBD and other life-enhancing supplements.

“Hemp-derived cannabidiol aligns with what we do very well,” said CEO Steve Wallach. “We’ve taken what we know about essential nutrients, along with decades of knowledge specializing in natural, plant-based nutrition and their most beneficial nutrients, and put that knowledge to work to develop high-end cannabidiol products.”

Reports suggest the entire hemp-derived CBD market will hit $22 billion globally by 2022. Much of the focus on CBD-infused products and drinks is towards the healthy lifestyle consumer market. However, more big brand beverage companies are expected to enter the industry and create CBD-infused non-alcoholic beverages for a broader spectrum of consumers. CBD-focused developments and partnerships are likely to increase as industry regulation becomes clearer.

Isagenix Introduces New Digestive Health System

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Isagenix International recently announced the launch of its IsaBiome™ Daily Digestive Health System.

The global health and wellness company says new system features probiotics and digestive enzymes complement each other to support better daily digestion of meals and long-term gut health. They also state the products, are designed to align with customers’ everyday diets, are available in a conventional-diet formula for individuals with meat-inclusive diets and a vegetarian-diet formula for individuals with vegetarian diets.

Isagenix Chief Science Officer Robert Kay, Ph.D.

Isagenix Chief Science Officer Robert Kay, Ph.D.

“By taking a science-backed and solutions-driven approach, Isagenix has created a comprehensive and targeted digestive support system that delivers results unlike anything on the market,” said Isagenix Chief Science Officer Robert Kay, Ph.D., the architect of IsaBiome. Kay created the line using his expertise from 30 years of studying digestive health. “We couldn’t be more excited to introduce IsaBiome to not only customers but also the direct selling and health and wellness industries.”

In consultancy firm New Nutrition Business’ “10 Key Trends in Food, Nutrition & Health 2019,” digestive wellness was listed its No. 1 trend for 2019. BCC Research also reported the global market for probiotics should grow from $39.2 billion in 2017 to $57.2 billion in 2022, increasing at a compound annual growth rate of 7.8 percent.