off-price stores

retail stores offering merchandise at prices less than other retail stores. They acquire out-of-season products and distressed merchandise from other retailers, including bankruptcies, and from manufacturers having production overruns. Off-price stores can threaten retailers carrying namebrand merchandise at full retail prices.

Warehouse club
A warehouse club is a retail store, usually selling a wide variety of merchandise, in which customers are required to buy large, wholesale quantities of the store's products, which makes these clubs attractive to both bargain hunters and small business owners. The clubs are able to keep prices low due to the nofrills format of the stores. In addition, customers may be required to pay annual membership fees in order to shop. The concept is similar to the consumers' cooperative supermarkets found in Europe, though using bigger stores and not co-operatively owned. The use of members' prices without co-operative ownership is also sometimes used in bars and casinos. In 1971, the Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company (A&P) opened their very first Warehouse Economy [1] Outlet (WEO), a warehouse format that only lasted a few years. Sol Price founded FedMart in 1954, an early US discount store. Sol and his son Robert Price founded Price Club in San Diego in 1976 as their first warehouse club. In 1982 discount pioneer John F. Geisse founded The Wholesale Club of [2] Indianapolis, which he sold to Sam's Club in 1991. In 1983, Costco Wholesale, PACE Wholesale Club and Sam's Club started operations. BJ's Wholesale Club was started in 1984 by former The Wholesale Club executives and owned by Zayre. As of 2010, four warehouse club chains operate in the United States. Costco and Sam's Club are the largest chains. Sam's Club, a division of Wal-Mart, claims a membership base of 47 million persons and [3] 602 stores across the United States. Costco has locations in seven other nations including Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Australia. BJ's Wholesale Club is one of two smaller competitors with stores located primarily in the Eastern United States. FedMart has survived as a small company owned by West Coast enterpriser Donald L. Kirk. In January 2009, Kirk announced plans to again expand FedMart; opening two new FedMart stores in 2009, in currently vacant former department store buildings; as well as opening an online FedMart Clearance/Closeout store.

The current Sam's Club logo first used on September 24, 2006.

Type

Subsidiary of Walmart

Industry

Retailer warehouse club

Founded

1983

Headquarters

Bentonville, Arkansas, U.S.

Number of locations

612 (U.S.) (FY 2012)[1]

Key people

Rosalind G. Brewer, President/CEO

Products

Merchandise

Sam's Club is an American chain of membership-only retail warehouse clubs owned and operated by Walmart Stores, Inc., founded in 1983 and named after Walmart founder Sam Walton. As of 2012 Sam's Club chain serves 47 million U.S and Puerto Rican members and is the 8th largest U.S. [2] retailer. As of January 31, 2008 Sam's Club ranks second in sales volume among warehouse clubs behind Costco, despite the fact that Sam's has more [3] retail locations.

Walmart does not release individual financial data for Sam's Club, other than year over year performance. Parent Walmart Stores, Inc. Sam's Club reported an 8.4% sales increase in 2012, 3.9% in 2011, Website www.samsclub.com 1.4% in 2010, and 4.9% in both 2009 and 2008. This is significantly higher [4] growth than Walmart U.S. stores, who did not have higher than 0.3% growth since 2009. Its major competitors are Costco and BJ's Wholesale Club. As of May 1, 2012, Sam's Club operated 612 membership warehouse clubs, the vast majority in the U.S., but also in Brazil, China and Mexico. There are plans to open 12 new clubs by the end of 2012: Hendersonville, TN; Lubbock, TX; McAllen, TX; Worcester, MA; Denham Springs, LA; Lincoln, NE; Elgin, [2] IL; Houston (Pearland), TX; Kansas City, KS; St. Petersburg, FL; Covington, LA; and Wentzville, MO; As of January 31, 2009, Sam's Club operated 602 membership warehouse clubs in 47 U.S. states (Oregon, Rhode Island and Vermont are the only states which do not have a Sam's Club), as well [1][5] as Puerto Rico, Brazil, China and Mexico. Locations generally range in size from 70,000190,000 sq ft 2 2 [1] (6,50018,000 m ), with an average club size of approximately 133,000 sq ft (12,400 m ).

Operating income

US$1.6 billion (FY 2009)[1]

Uniwide Sales, Inc.

Type

Shopping malls

Industry

Shopping Malls

Founded

January 1975 Avenida Rizal, Manila

Headquarters

Paranaque and Las Pinas

Number of locations

Area served

Philippines

Key people

Jimmy Gow (Founder, Chairman and CEO)

Owner(s)

Uniwide Holdings Inc.

Website

none

Uniwide Sales, Inc. was one of the retail operators in Metro Manila, the Philippines. It was incorporated in January 1975 by Chinese-Filipino entrepreneur Jimmy Gow to operate Uniwide commercial shopping centers such as the lease of commercial spaces within the compound of their malls and department stores. Uniwide has about 2,000 employees. The competing retailers of the 70s and the 80s are: COD Department Store, Ever Gotesco Malls, Plaza Fair andIsetann Department Store but lagged behind SM Supermalls, Robinsons Malls and Ayala Malls. It has two branches. It is set to be close down by the order of Securities and Exchange Commission.

History[
The roots of Uniwide date back to January 1975 when it established in Avenida Rizal as Uniwide Sales Textile Bargain House Center. With the success, the Gow family expanded to ready-to-wear apparel, accessories and then became a complete department store and supermarket chain. The company introduced the mass-oriented warehouse club concept in the country in 1988. It opened a warehouse clubs in prime locations in the country in the next two years, which also started the companys woes. Some of its assets in prime location such as its unfinished building in Cubao, Quezon City were already bought by Puregold Price Club Inc. of the Co family., The warehouse in Marcos Highway were already demolished and sold the lot to John Gokongwei's Robinsons Malls to pave way for Robinsons Metro East and in Libis, Quezon City to pave way for Wilcon Depot. Its remaining warehouse club is in the reclamation area in Roxas Boulevard in Uniwide Coastal Mall in Paraaque and in Metromall in Las Pias. From 1992 to 1999, in partnership with RPN-9, They have a quiz show called Battle of the Brains. In 1998, It entered into corporate rehabilitation during the Asian financial crisis . At that time, the companys retail business has a network of eight warehouse clubs and two department stores. Liquidity problems, however, affected earnings. Sales declined from its peak of P14.5 billion in 1997 to just about P4.3 billion in 2000.
[1]

Name

Address

Uniwide Coastal Mall

Central Business Park II, Coastal Road Junction, Reclamation Area, Paraaque, Metro Manila, Philippines

Uniwide Metromall

Alabang-Zapote Road, Las Pias City, Metro Manila

Major Reatailers SM Supermalls, Robinsons malls, Ayala malls , Greenfield Development, Ortigas, Starmalls, Megaworld Lifestyles malls , Waltermart, Gaisano Minor Retailers Ever Gotesco Malls, Isetann Department Stores

Costco Wholesale Corporation is a membership-only warehouse club that provides a wide selection of merchandise. As of July 2012, it is the second largest retailer in the United States, the seventh largest retailer in the world and the largest membership warehouse club chain [3][4] in the United States.

Costco is headquartered in Issaquah, Washington, United States and was founded in 1976 in San [6] [7] Diego, CA with its first warehouse in Seattle. Today Costco has a total of 626 locations in the United Kingdom (23), Australia (3), Canada (85), Mexico (33), Taiwan (9), South Korea (9), Japan (15), and [ [8] the United States (449). Found by James (Jim) Sinegal and Jeffrey H. Brotman, Costco opened its first [9] warehouse in Seattle, Washington, on September 15, 1983. Sinegal had started in wholesale distribution by working for Sol Price at both FedMart and Price Club. Brotman, an attorney from an old [citation needed] Seattle retailing family, had also been involved in retail distribution from an early age. Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton had plans to merge Sam's Club with Price Club. In 1993, however, Costco merged with Price Club (called Club Pricein the Canadian province of Quebec). Costco's business model and size were similar to those of Price Club, which was founded by Sol and Robert Price [7] in 1976 in San Diego, California. Thus, the combined company, PriceCostco, was effectively double the size of each of its parents. Just after the merger, PriceCostco had 206 locations generating $16 billion in [11] annual sales. PriceCostco was initially led by executives from both companies, but then Sol and his [7][12] son Robert Price founded Price Enterprises and left Costco in December 1994.
[10]

[5]

Costco in Moncton, New Brunswick

Costco in Henderson, Nevada

Costco in Montreal, Quebec

In 1993, when growing competition threatened both Price Club and Costco Wholesale, they entered into a partial merger just after Prices earnings dropped to 40%. The new company, named PriceCostco, Inc., focused heavily on international expansion, opening stores in Mexico, South Korea, and England. Despite best efforts to recover losses, sales continued to drop. Disagreement between the two leaders, Robert Price and Jim Sinegal, regarding company direction and recovery policies soon left the merger in tatters. In 1994, the breakup was formally announced. Sinegal continued to manage PriceCostco while Prices [13] breakaway company was named as Price Enterprises. The first Price Club location was opened in 1976 in an old airplane hangar, previously owned by Howard Hughes, and is still in operation today (Warehouse No. 401, located on Morena Boulevard in San Diego). In 1997, the company changed its name to Costco Wholesale and all Price Club locations were [7][11] rebranded Costco. CNBC premiered its documentary "The Costco Craze: Inside the Warehouse Giant" on April 26, 2012.
[14] [7][11]

On March 26, 2001, Retalix Ltd. announced the signing of an agreement with the Costco Wholesale Corporation that called for the installation of the company's StoreLine Fuel software solutions across 152 [15] Costco retail fuel outlets in the U.S.

Costco today[edit]
In the United States, the main competitors operating membership warehouses are Sam's Club and BJ's [16] [17] Wholesale Club. Although Sam's Club has more warehouses than Costco, Costco has higher total [18] [2] sales volume. Costco employs about 174,000 full and part-time employees. As of February 2013, [1] Costco had 68.2 million members. Costco was the first company to grow from zero to $3 billion in sales in less than six years. For the fiscal year ending on August 31, 2012, the company's sales totaled $97.062 billion, with $1.709 billion net [2] [19] profit. Costco is 24th on the 2012 Fortune 500. The ACSI (The American Customer Satisfaction [20] Index) named Costco number one in the specialty retail store industry with a score of 83 in Q4 2008.
[11]

BJ's Wholesale Club, Inc., commonly referred to simply as BJ's, is a membership-only warehouse club chain operating on the United States East Coast, as well [1] as in the state of Ohio. The company is ranked #232 on Fortune magazine's 2010 listing of America's [4][ 500 largest public corporations. The company was started by Zayre, a discount department store chain, in 1984, on the Medford/Malden border in Massachusetts. When Zayre sold their own nameplate to rival discount chain Ames, TJX Companies was formed. TJX spun off their warehouse division, consisting of BJ's and now defunct HomeClub (later known as HomeBase, then House2Home), to form Waban, Inc. Later, Waban spun off BJ's to become an independent company headquartered in Westborough, Massachusetts. The company's name is derived from Beverly Jean, the daughter of the first president of the new [6] company. The name should not be confused with Berkley & Jensen, a private label brand name sold in [7] their stores. In 2011, BJ's was acquired by two private equity firms, Leonard Green & Partners and CVC Capital [8] Partners. As of January 30, 2010, BJ's operated 190 BJ's clubs in fifteen states and employed approximately [1] 23,500 team members (both full- and part-time). Its major competitors are Costco Wholesaleand [1][9] Walmart's version of a warehouse club concept, Sam's Club.

BJ's Wholesale Club in Virginia

BJ's offers a variety of special benefits to its members. These include "member pricing", a variety of name-brand products at discount wholesale prices, acceptance of all valid manufacturers' coupons, and acceptance of many forms of payment (cash, check, ATM/debit cards, all major credit cards, [10] andEBT SNAP benefits). BJ's is the only one of the three major warehouse club chains to regularly [11] accept Visa as a method of payment. Memberships at BJ's are required for these benefits and are available to individual consumers and businesses. BJ's memberships normally last for twelve months from the date of purchase and are required to be renewed yearly to maintain their validity. As of January 3, 2011, a [12] standard Inner Circle (individual) membership at BJ's cost $50 per year. In addition, BJ's also has a [1][13] special "Rewards" membership that may be purchased for an additional $50, allowing 2% of most of a member's purchases to be "rewarded" and redeemed for use towards future BJ's purchases (with the exception of alcohol, tobacco, and gas). Business members may apply to purchase BJ's products for

resale, and those of non-profit organizations may apply for tax-exempt privileges (where applicable). Members with expired memberships (if they choose not to renew), as well as non-members are allowed to shop, but are assessed a 5-15% surcharge (depending on the club and the circumstances) on their total, and are not allowed to pay by check. However, if non-members keep their receipts and decide to renew their membership or open a new membership, they will be refunded the surcharge and applied [14] towards the membership fee, within seven days. To aid in convenience, most BJ's memberships can be renewed at the register during checkout. BJ's Wholesale Club has a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee on their memberships, and therefore a membership can be refunded at any time during that membership [15] period without any 90- or 30-day stipulation. Many of BJ's clubs offer special services to members, such as gas stations, home heating oil, propane filling, an optical department, car rentals, and vacation packages. These services vary from [citation needed] location to location. As of 2008, there were 154 clubs with optical departments. As of [1] January 30, 2010 BJ's operated 104 gasoline stations at their clubs. In February 2007, BJ's closed all [14] pharmacies in its clubs. BJ's Wholesale Club locations frequently stock different varieties of products at different locations. All clubs carry the items listed in the coupon book that is published on a bi-monthly basis. However, at certain times, it is not uncommon for a certain club not to carry a new item immediately due to its higher [citation needed] demand. In March 2010, BJ's announced that they will move their corporate headquarters from Natick [1][16] to Westborough, Massachusetts in 2011. On January 5, 2011, BJ's announced it would close five underperforming stores in the Southeast and eliminate about 100 headquarters jobs by the end of the month and restructure its home office and some field operations. Its restructuring moves would result in [17][18] 78 to 82 cents per share for its fiscal fourth quarter. BJ's carries many organic and natural food brands such as Amy's Kitchen, Kashi, and Newman's Own.

The pros and cons of warehouse store memberships

Warehouse club stores have substantially grown in popularity. Costco is one of the biggest and most profitable retail stores and even competes with giant Wal-Mart. Warehouse club stores generally have low prices and offer a wide variety of numerous items. You can find everything from chicken and fish to televisions and recliners at warehouse club stores, and can usually find these items for a cheaper price than you could at another retail store. Although there are these benefits and more to having a warehouse club membership, there are some disadvantages you should consider.

Although it is true that food prices are generally less expensive at warehouse club stores than at conventional grocery stores, warehouse club stores have far less selection and generally require that you purchase an item in bulk. This is true even with perishable items. For example, even though you can buy a 3 gallon jug of milk for at a warehouse club store for less money per gallon than you would pay at a conventional grocery store, you have to consider whether you

are actually going to drink 3 gallons of milk before it expires. If not, you are wasting money by purchasing your milk at a warehouse club store. Many people stick to specific brands and do not change. However, as mentioned above, warehouse club stores have a limited selection and may not carry your specific brand. It is important to keep in mind that warehouse club stores do carry many brands, just not nearly as many as conventional grocery stores. As such, if you are partial to a particular brand, your conventional grocery store may be your only option. Cheaper prices on bulk items are great when you want to buy non-perishable, non-food items. Some of the largest expenses in a household are toiletries and personal hygiene products. Deodorant, toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, soap, and razors, to name a few, are expensive products that greatly increase your grocery bill. However, warehouse club stores offer these products in large quantities for dramatically cheaper prices than conventional grocery stores. This is one product area where warehouse club stores stand far above the competition. Probably the biggest disadvantage of a warehouse club store is that there is generally a yearly membership. As such, you have to pay up front to purchase discount items throughout the year. Fortunately, the membership fee is not very expensive (usually around $50 per year), and you easily make that money back in savings after a couple of shopping trips. However, if you do not consistently shop at your warehouse club store, you will be wasting money on the yearly membership fee. Before you decide to join a warehouse club store, make sure to weigh these advantages and disadvantages. You will have cheaper prices, but you will have to buy in bulk and will have limited selection. This is not great when it comes to food, but is amazing when it comes to toiletries and personal hygiene products. Another disadvantage is you have to pay a yearly membership fee. Fortunately, the fee is not too expensive, and you should be able to make the fee up in savings after a couple of shopping trips.

Outlet store
An outlet store or factory outlet is a brick and mortar or online retail store in which manufacturers sell their stock directly to the public. Traditionally, a factory outlet was a store attached to a factory or warehouse, sometimes allowing customers to watch the production process like in the original L.L. Bean store. In modern usage, outlet stores are typically manufacturer-branded stores like Gap or Bon Worth grouped together inoutlet malls. The invention of the factory outlet store is often credited to Harold Alfond, founder of the Dexter Shoe Company.

History
Outlet malls first appeared in the Eastern United States in the 1930s. Factory stores started to offer damaged or excess goods to employees at a low price. After some time, the audience expanded to non[1] employees as well. In 1936, Anderson-Little (a men's clothing brand) opened an outlet store independent of its existing factories. Until the 1970s, the primary purpose of outlet stores was to dispose of excess or damaged goods. In 1974, Vanity Fair opened up the first multi-store outlet center in Reading, Pennsylvania. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Outlet malls experienced strong growth. The average outlet mall is opened with between 100,000 to 200,000 square feet of retail space. This can gradually increase to up 500,000 to [1] 600,000 feet. The average outlet mall has an area of 216,000 feet. In 2003, outlet malls generated $15 billion in revenue from 260 stores nationwide. The number of malls in the 90s increased from 113 in 1988 to 276 in 1991 and to 325 in 1997.
[1]

Outlet malls are not an exclusively American phenomenon. In Europe, retailer BAA McArthurGlen has opened 13 malls with over 1,200 stores and 3 million square feet of retail space. Stores have also been [1] emerging in Japan since the mid to late 1990s.

Top 10 Outlet Stores in America

Each of these bargain hubs has its own distinct hook that keeps shoppers coming back for more.
1. Chicago Premium Outlets 1650 Premium Outlets Boulevard Aurora, IL (630) 585-2200 premiumoutlets.com/chicago The Draw: Michael Kors, Juicy Couture, and Diesel are just a few of the brands that savvy visitors can score for way less than their original prices at the 120 outlet stores in this center, located 45 minutes west of the Windy City. Bonus: Check the website for hotel discounts, too. 2. Desert Hills Premium Outlets 48400 Seminole Drive Cabazon, CA (951) 849-6641 premiumoutlets.com/deserthills The Draw: Surrounded by mountains, practically a coconuts throw from the famed Palm Sp rings resorts, this center is a West Coast mainstay. Inside, shoppers snag reduced-price finds from Jimmy Choo, Diane von Furstenberg, and other top designer labels. 3. Houston Premium Outlets 29300 Hempstead Road Cypress, TX (281) 304-5820 premiumoutlets.com/houston The Draw: This newbie on the outlet scene keeps shoppers happy with stores like Nine West, Elie Tahari, and Ann Taylor Factory under its bustling roof. For even more savings, join the VIP Shopper

Club on the website for exclusive coupons and updates. 4. Las Vegas Premium Outlets 875 South Grand Central Parkway Las Vegas, NV (702) 474-7500 premiumoutlets.com/lasvegas The Draw: Just five minutes off the Strip, this is one of the largest outlet centers in the U.S. Among the 150 stores, youll find Polo Ralph Lauren, True Religion, and Lacosteall good spots to blow your casino winnings. 5. North Georgia Premium Outlets 800 Highway 400 South Dawsonville, GA (706) 216-3609 premiumoutlets.com/northgeorgia The Draw: A quaint Georgian village setting greets visitors shopping for Calvin Klein, Pottery Barn, Cole Haan, and more than 130 others at this hot spot, located just 45 minutes north of Atlanta. 6. Philadelphia Premium Outlets 18 West Lightcap Road Limerick, PA (610) 495-9000 premiumoutlets.com/philadelphia The Draw: Take a break from all of those Philly cheesesteaks and head over to this recently expanded outlet center. Its loaded with stores like French Connection, Puma, and Neiman Marcus Last Call, so youre sure to burn off the calories. 7. Seattle Premium Outlets 10600 Quil Ceda Boulevard Tulalip, WA (360) 654-3000 premiumoutlets.com/seattle The Draw: Hit up this outlet mall where Kenneth Cole, Restoration Hardware, J.Crew, and other stores offer their merchandise at prices thatll make you forget about that Seattle rain. 8. Waikele Premium Outlets 94-790 Lumiaina Street Waipahu, HI (808) 676-5656 premiumoutlets.com/waikele The Draw: Say aloha to outlet shopping in Hawaii at a mall well worth a mini hiatus from the beach. Youll find LeSportsac, MaxMara, Coach, and other stores that will leave you with enough cash to buy a round of Mai Tais later. 9. Woodbury Common Premium Outlets 498 Red Apple Court Central Valley, NY (845) 928-4000 premiumoutlets.com/woodburycommon The Draw: This outlet giant home to 220 storeshas earned legendary status among city-dwelling

fashionistas who want high fashion on the cheap. An hour north of NYC, it features Betsey Johnson, Chanel, M Missoni, Swarovski, and Theory. 10. Wrentham Village Premium Outlets One Premium Outlets Boulevard Wrentham, MA (508) 384-0600 premiumoutlets.com/wrentham The Draw: After drooling over full-priced items along Bostons Newbury Street, make the quick trip (just 35 minutes south of the city) to one of the 170 stores at this retail center. At Kate Spade, Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th, Salvatore Ferragamo, or Banana Republic, youll find similar (if not the exact same) goods at half the price.

Philippines Favorite outlet stores Lee Jag Tribal Candies Von Dutch

Difference between oulet Stores and regular Stores

Outlets are DEFINITELY cheaper. Most of the items in outlet stores are "last season" or not carried in the normals stores anymore. Basically like overstock things so they sell them for VERY cheap In an outlet they have sales that they do not offer in other stores. Also, sometimes they have/carry things that they don't carry in a mall. Outlets are definitely BRANDED

Non-store retailing
Non-store retailing is the selling of goods and services outside the confines of a retail facility. It is a generic term describing retailing taking place outside of shops and stores (that is, off the premises of fixed retail locations and of markets stands). The non-store distribution channel can be divided into direct selling (off-premises sales) and distance selling, the latter including all forms of electronic commerce. Distance selling includes mail order, catalogue sales, telephone solicitations and automated vending. Electronic commerce includes online shopping, internet tradingplatforms, travel portals, global distribution systems and teleshopping. Direct selling includes party sales and all forms of selling in consumers homes and offices, including even garage sales.

Non-store retailing, sometimes also labelled home shopping, is consistently achieving double -digit growth, and slowly taking a bigger share of overall retailing. However, it still only represents six per cent of all retail sales in for instance the United Kingdom (http://rd.kpmg.co.uk/mediareleases/20981.htm). In some product markets, however, such as travel and books & media, the share is much higher. In Germany in 2009, 29 per cent of the population were already using the internet to book their holidays (http://www.v-i-r.de/cms/upload/bilder/df-2010/df-2010-web.pdf). According to Eurostat, 38 per cent of European consumers consider the internet as the most important source of information about [1] [2] travel and 42 per cent of consumers purchased travel services over the internet in 2008. The non-store distribution channel is marked by low entry thresholds. Compared to store retailing that requires a retail outlet, inventory, cash flow to hire staff and advertising, non-store retail start-ups usually have to invest little to reach out to potential buyers of the goods and services they offer. Non-store retailing is therefore not only used by established brick and mortar business retailers who develop an online bricks and clicks business model presence, but also by the individual pure play, often him- or herself a consumer, to create an EShop or to run sales parties. The rise ofsocial media helps to connect sellers to potential buyers. Under Community Law, non-store retailing is heavily regulated (http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/rights/gen rights en.htm). The Distance Selling Directive 97/7/EC (Consumer Protection (Distance Selling) Regulations 2000, the Doorstep Selling Directive 85/577/EEC, the E-Commerce Directive 2000/31/EC (http://ec.europa.eu/internal market/e-commerce/directive en.htm and Electronic Commerce Regulations 2002 and the Audiovisual Services Directive 2010/13/EU (http://ec.europa.eu/avpolicy/reg/avms/index en.htm) are the principal regulatory tools to deal with the most technologically-intensive but also innovative distribution methods.

Examples of nonstore retailing avenues include vending machines, mail order, home or office parties, and online computer shopping.

DIRECT SELLING
Direct selling is the sale of a consumer product or service, person-to-person, away from a fixed retail location, marketed through independent sales representatives who are sometimes also referred to as consultants, distributors or other titles. Direct sellers are not employees of the company. They are independent contractors who market and sell the products or services of a company in return for a commission on those sales. Orders are usually placed in person or via the consultants Web page. Sometimes the phone is used to place orders or reorders, but only about 12% of sales take place this way. Home shopping parties are the most widely recognized sales method, where friends, family or acquaintances get together for a few hours to learn about or sample a range of products or services. However, the majority (about 70%) of the direct selling industrys sales actually occur using a one-to-one approach where one seller may present the products or services to a single consumer. Just about any product or service can be purchased through direct selling somewhere in the world. Many people think of cosmetics, wellness products and home dcor as products that are often sold through direct sales, but add to that

countless other product categories including kitchen products, jewelry, clothing, organic gardening supplies, spa products, scrapbooking supplies, rubber stamps and much, much more. Direct selling should not be confused with other types of sales that take place away from a fixed retail location such as magazine sales, home repair services, telemarketing, wholesaling, real estate sales, or work -from-home businesses such as envelope stuffing or product assembly.

AVON Philippines
Products: makeup, skin care, personal care, fragrance and intimate apparel Read more at BusinessDiary.com.ph: http://businessdiary.com.ph/2679/top-direct-selling-companies-inthe-philippines/#ixzz2YuFEhTWx

Boardwalk Business Ventures Inc

Products : Fashion Accessories, Branded Apparel

Dakki classics concepts,inc.

Products : Apparel for men and women, bags, accessories, home products

Ever Bilena Cosmetics Direct Sales

Products: color cosmetics and skin care

MSE Marikina Shoe Exchange

Products: Shoes and Footwear

Natasha
Products: Clothing, intimates, accessories and shoes for men, women and kids; cosmetics (including a Fanny Serrano line); fragrances with tie-ups with Robin Padilla and Jericho Rosales; skin care and hygiene products; and apparel by Rene Salud

Alliance in Motion Global

Products: Dietary supplements, personal care, beverages and cosmetics placed in four categories Nutritional Support, Nutritional CosmeCeuticals, Functional Beverages and NaturaCentials

Amway Philippines, L.L.C.

Products: Homecare Products

DXN International Private LTD

Products: Food Supplement

Benefits & advantages of direct selling

Direct selling is the oldest channel of distribution. It exists since ages, fulfilling men's basic need to trade and to communicate on the goods they exchange. From the seller's point of view, the major attraction of direct selling is that it offers an equal and flexible income opportunity to men and women, across all ages, level of experience and social origins. A direct selling activity can be run from home and does not require a high investment. It can start as a part-time activity and develop into a full time job, depending on the time and commitment involved. It is a unique alternative to conventional employment. 31% of direct sellers in Europe come from unemployment or a non-professional area of work1. For consumers, the benefits of buying through direct selling are multiple: high quality products, opportunity to try and test them in a relaxed and friendly environment, after sales services and guarantee, right of withdrawal and return of goods. The direct selling industry offers high level standards of consumer protection whilst enhancing entrepreneurship for direct sellers.

The Disadvantages of Direct Sales Marketing

Channel Saturation
The increasing number of communication channels for marketing messages, such as social media and smart phones, offers more opportunities to reach consumers than ever before. But as the total volume of marketing messages increases, consumers are less able or inclined to give attention to those messages. For example, consumers regularly throw away direct mail pieces and delete marketing emails without even opening them. The saturation of communication channels with marketing messages makes it difficult for any particular message to sway consumers.

Technological Hurdles
Direct sales marketing typically requires a business to build and maintain multiple databases. According to San Diego State University, these databases range from demographic data to consumer consumption profiles. The creation of effective mobile and Internet marketing materials calls for technical expertise in addition to marketing savvy. Businesses that lack in-house staff with the appropriate skill sets for generating mobile and Internet marketing materials face a choice between outsourcing the work, hiring additional staff or foregoing marketing in those channels.

Finite Reach
While some direct marketing techniques, such as email marketing or social media marketing, can potentially reach a very large audience, most direct marketing techniques offer a finite reach. Direct

mail pieces and catalogs carry a per-item cost that limits the total items per order for most businesses. The business must assume, correctly or incorrectly, that the total number of items it sends out represents the maximum number of customers the marketing materials will reach. The limited reach of most direct marketing techniques carries an equivalent limit on the amount of potential sales.

Perception Problems
Businesses employing direct sales marketing techniques may also face a perception problem, particularly among first-time, direct sales customers. According to a 2004 study published by Westminster School of Business, customers that do not normally buy from direct sales businesses tend to have a slightly negative perception of both direct sales and direct sellers. Businesses using direct sales marketing must overcome this negative impression with first-time buyers. The study also notes that customers experienced in direct sales purchases carry positive impressions of both direct selling and direct sellers. Unless the business uses a list of known, direct sales customers, it must contend with the likelihood of a negative impression on the part of the consumer.

Home shopping
Home shopping, also known as e-commerce, commonly refers to the electronic retailing/home shopping channels industry, which includes such billion dollar television-based and e-commerce companies as Liquidation Channel, HSN, QVC, Jewelry Television, Patagroup.com, eBay, ShopNBC, Buy.com, and Amazon.com, as well as traditional mail order and brick and mortar retailers as Hammacher Schlemmer and Sears, Roebuck and Co. Home shopping allows consumers to shop for goods from the privacy of their own home, as opposed to traditional shopping, which requires one to visit brick and mortar stores and shopping malls. There are three main types of home shopping: mail or telephone ordering from catalogs; telephone ordering in response to advertisements in print and electronic media (such as periodicals, TV and radio); and online shopping. The home shopping/electronic retailing industry was created in 1977, when small market talk radio show host Bob Circosta was asked to sell avocado-green-colored can openers live on the air by station owner Bud Paxson, when an advertiser traded 112 units of product instead of paying his advertising bill. Hesitant at first, Circosta reluctantly obliged and to both men's great surprise, all 112 can openers sold out within the hour. Paxson sensed the vast sales potential of home-based commerce, and founded the world's first shopping channel on cable television, later launching nationwide with the Home Shopping Network (rebranded as HSN). Bob Circosta was America's first ever TV home shopping host,becoming one of the most instantly recognizable salesmen in theFree World. Over the next three decades, Circosta sold over 75,000 different products on HSN, netted over 20,000 hours of live, on-air TV selling, and [citation needed] achieved personal product sales in excess of one billion dollars. The classic television-based home shopping industry quickly became a major player in the retail industry. The two most successful shopping channels HSN andQVC generate a combined total of over 10 billion dollars in sales every [citation needed] year. And Jewelry Television is the largest gemstone retailer in the world. [4] Amazon.com began as an online bookstore in 1994, created by Wall Street computer scientist Jeff Bezos. In addition to books, Amazon eventually added video games, computer software,electronics, apparel, and

more to its sales repertoire. The company now generates approximately eight-and-a-half billion dollars annually

EZ shop,

Vending machine
A vending machine is a machine which dispenses items such as snacks, beverages, alcohol, cigarettes, lottery tickets, cologne, consumer products and even gold and gems to customers automatically, after the customer inserts currency or credit into the machine. In the Philippines . The most popular Vending machine . is the coffee vendo machine

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Vending Machines

Vending machines are the most easy to use produce of the recent years. A cashier is ultimately unnecessary when it comes to vending machines, and yet it delivers food of all sorts. All you have to do is to fill the coin slot with the right amount of money, press the button according to what you desire to obtain, and then it comes right out of the machine. Pressing some button is all that it takes for you to gain satisfaction whenever you are hungry. It was already several decades back when the concept of vending machines came to life; it was when a mathematician put a coin in a machine slot, which eventually handed out water. During the industrial era, the use of vending machines have been taken advantaged by the public for the reason that these machines were already positioned in universities, hallways, and in workplaces.

It is for the reason that vending machines provide you with your necessities almost instantly, that people consider it as a very much reliable choice. Not all people think of that, unfortunately; there are those who consider vending machines as tools that let you waste your hard-earned money to its costly products. People also are indeed dreadful when the item that they want to purchase gets stuck in the machine. This further proves that vending machines can both be beneficial and a waste of time for some people. The greatest benefit of these vending machines is that they are very versatile and convenient. When you find yourself in the middle of closed shops, with a hungry stomach, a vending machine can really come in handy. When you do not have the time in your hands, and you really need something to eat, these vending machines can be the sole answer to your problems. When you talk about vending machines, costly items always come with it, making this one of its major disadvantages. Compared to items being sold in other stores, those items that are on vending machines are way on the high-priced spectrum. Therefore, if you want to, then do not stop yourself from spending so much. Another disadvantage is the harmful snacks that they offer. Teenagers almost always patronize these unhealthy snacks that are constantly available in vending machines. Studies have shown that a great deal of foods and beverages in these machines are low in nutritional values. After knowing the different advantages and disadvantages of vending machines, only you can make the final decision whether or not you still want to continue using it. Some people may have conflicting ideas when this topic arises. Nevertheless, what matters most is that you learn to stand on what you believe in. Besides, these machines have been designed to increase our comfort, with no other harm intended.