Diverse Selling Techniques Boost Direct Marketers and Non-Store Sales

Several decades ago, non-store retailing consisted only of catalogs (such as those from Sears, Roebuck & Co.), mail-order ads in magazines or newspapers and door-to-door peddlers of such items as Watkin’s Vanilla Extract, Fuller Brushes and Kirby Vacuums. Slowly, non-store retailing evolved. By the 1970s, upscale catalogs such as the Horchow Collection had emerged in large numbers, catering to the growing base of affluent households where women were holding demanding, well-paying jobs and had less time or inclination for traditional shopping. At the same time, multi-level marketing was booming, and scores of new companies copied the methods of leaders like Avon, Amway and Mary Kay in selling cosmetics and other personal-care items through legions of independent representatives. Business-to-business catalogs of such items as office supplies also saw rapid growth. By the late 1980s, mail-order sales of personal computers and related accessories soared, as early leaders like Gateway and Dell Computer found success via aggressive advertising in computer magazines. Television shopping became sophisticated as the advent of new, niche cable TV channels created additional sales venues.

Today, non-store selling (sometimes called “direct selling”) is giving traditional retail selling a run for its money. It has steadily chipped away at the market share of stores. For the past several years, however, non-store selling has been migrating more and more to the internet, while selling through traditional direct marketing, such as through the mail or by telemarketing, is of less and less importance.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.

Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.

Become a Plunkett Research Online subscriber to gain unlimited access to our massive amount of vital industry data and market research.

✔ 100,000 Industry Statistics
✔ 500 Industries Analyzed for Market Size, Profits and Forecasts
✔ 150,000 Industry Executives Profiled
✔ 25,000 Companies Profiled, Ranked and Analyzed
✔ 1,000 Vital Trends Analyzed, totaling 1,000,000 words

Learn More

How to access Plunkett Research data.

What data challenge can we help you solve today?

Take a Tour

Contact

Testimonials

Diverse Selling Techniques Boost Direct Marketers and Non-Store Sales, Business and Industry Trends Analysis

A Representative List of Organizations that Have Used our Research and Products:

How to access Plunkett Research data.

What data challenge can we help you solve today?

Take a Tour

Contact

Testimonials