The World Federation of Direct Selling Associations (WFDSA) and its Global Research Sub-committee have published the research calendar for 2016. The Sub-committee conducts the Global Direct Selling Statistical Survey each year on a global, regional and local basis, seeking to accomplish the following:
- Size the direct selling industry estimated retails sales
- Quantify the size of the industry’s salesforce
- Provide trending statistics, both year-over-year growth and compound annual growth rates
Last year’s research indicated a three-year compound annual growth rate for the industry of 6.5 percent, and that figure also represents multiple years of solid data in the research database. Judy Jones of Amway and Global Research Sub-committee Chairman says, “It takes a village to develop the WFDSA annual statistics each year, and we thank all of the companies who faithfully fill out our research surveys and submit them, as well as the staff at WFDSA, SELDIA, all local DSAs, and the member company representatives on the Research Sub-committee.”
The research team is comprised of 15 to 18 DSA and member company representatives from all over the world, plus third-party vendor Nathan Associates. The team estimates that the research effort takes over 5,000 person hours each year to collect, compile, analyze and report on the global direct selling industry. As noted in the calendar, the survey will go out on Jan. 11 to over 60 Direct Selling Associations (DSAs) across the world, who will then distribute it to member companies. In the U.S., this survey is known as the Annual Growth & Outlook Survey.
Accurate statistics tell the positive story of direct selling to government officials and regulators, the media, academia, and the investment community, in addition to consumer groups and the public. Company responses are due back to their local DSAs by March 14. The Sub-committee publishes the report on its website, www.WFDSA.org, in early June.
All of the research responses remain confidential and are only reported in the aggregate by Nathan Associates. Jones adds, “We hope you’ll support our research efforts once again in 2016.”
