Avon no longer knocks on his door for the rise of online sale and the crisis in the cosmetic sector

La marca de cosméticos Avon estaba tan integrada en la sociedad norteamericana que en una película como Eduardo Manostijeras (Tim Burton, 1990) encajaba a la perfección que la madre protagonista de la historia trabajara en esa compañía. "Avon llama", le expresaba una abnegada Peg Boggs (Dianne Wiest) a Eduardo Manostijeras (Johnny Depp) en una de las escenas más célebres del filme.

Avon is a brand that was born in the United States and soon managed to internationalize thanks to the prescribing power of women to women. His idiosyncrasy was based on the recommendations that the distributors of their products made at cold. The receivers were other women who comfortably received a home service in an atmosphere of trust. In the 50s, advertising caused the brand to expand rapidly, precisely with the Avon campaign knocks on your door. It would come to Spain in 1966 as part of its growth plan in Europe, which is more than half a century by carrying Avon cosmetics to all corners of our geography. A maximum current brand in particular in Spain, although for reasons opposed to its expansion. This June the company announced that its workforce would be affected by an ERE in which 51% of workers would be dispensed with. Of the 251 employees who are part of their structure, 129 would be left out. This number has been reduced in recent days as confirmed to Loc Fuentes de Avon, so at the moment 30 less affected workers would be.

The company wields several arguments to carry out this restructuring of the workforce, in which they include a voluntary assignment plan.The main is the adaptation to the online sales model: "Within an unprecedented transformation in the cosmetic sector, dominated by digitalization and with a high degree of competition and fragmentation, Avon advances in its strategy of adaptation to the new trendsmarket and consumer habits. "

Direct sales channels have been resentful with the proliferation of online purchases and pandemic has finished implanting this online system even more strongly.In addition, at the beginning of 2020, the Brazilian cosmetic giant Natura, which includes brands like The Body Shop, acquired Avon to create "the fourth largest beauty group in the world."This acquisition also affected Avon's original structure, since they now depend on nature.

In relation to the next ERE, the cosmetic firm has assured that it addresses the measure from the "maximum respect" to all workers and with "absolute" will to achieve the best solution for all parties through dialogue.The areas most affected by the casualties will be those of marketing and customer service.In this sense, the company delves into the reasons that have led him to take this work measure: "It responds to economic, productive and organizational causes, being essential to be able to adapt the structure of the company in Spain."

The company and workers are in the middle of negotiation process to reach an agreement."We want to continue defending the jobs. We are concerned about the thinning of the departments and the viability of the future project. The outputs that occur will also have the people who stay, since with a high number of employees outside,He could do the same job, "Mariano Osorio, president of the Avon Spain Workers Committee, tells this supplement.

At the moment and until there is no progress in the negotiations, the president of the committee announces the measures they will take: "On June 30 there is a call for partial unemployment in the Plaza de Santa Barbara where the headquarters are the headquartersof the National Association of Perfumery and Cosmetics ".Although the labor measure affects the structural positions, Mariano affirms that they are the main support of the commercials, that is, of the people who take the products to the houses to the voice of "Avon calls."

Pandemia has had an impact on the numbers of the cosmetics and perfumery sector, which have seen a decrease in their sales of 10%.Other companies such as Douglas have also carried out cutting processes in their workforce as a result of the fall in sales and the adaptation of the business model.

Brand history

Avon has more than 135 years of history and employs 19,500 people globally.In July 1866, David H. McConnell began his business to sell door to door, giving a fragrance created by himself for the purchase of each book.These fragrances became so popular that buyers began to increase the demand for books due to the fact of obtaining perfumes.In 1896 he founded a small laboratory to develop cosmetic products.Already in 1928, sales reached two million dollars.In 1936 he created the brand: Avon Products, Inc. The name refers to the city where Shakespeare was born, for whom McConnell felt great admiration.