The Evolution of
a Cosmetics Pioneer
The Evolution of a Cosmetics Pioneer
The Origins of a Beauty Icon
For over a century, Avon has been more than just a beauty brand—it has been a movement. What began in 1886 as a modest effort by a door-to-door book salesman evolved into one of the world’s most iconic names in cosmetics. Avon not only transformed how women accessed beauty products, but also pioneered opportunities for them to gain financial independence and professional growth. This is the story of how a simple perfume sample sparked a global legacy of empowerment and innovation.
In 1886, David H. McConnell took a significant step toward enhancing women’s economic and professional independence by founding Avon. Interestingly, he didn’t initially plan to create a cosmetics company. McConnell was engaged in door-to-door book sales and included perfume samples as gifts. He quickly discovered that cosmetics garnered more interest than literature, and many of his clients were homemakers.
McConnell composed his first perfumes, the “Little Perfume Dot Set,” in his small New York office. There, he assembled a team of female sales representatives responsible for selling his products. This collaboration led to a new business model that thrives to this day.
In 1895, CPC opened its main production center in Suffern, New York. Two years later, the company expanded the facility to include a laboratory. A year after that, the company published its first catalog. By 1902, the California Perfume Company already had 10,000 Consultants.
In 1905, the company launched a magazine for Consultants, offering advice and company news.
In 1906, CPC published its first colour brochure. That same year, its first advertisement appeared in Good Housekeeping magazine.
In 1914, CPC began operations in Montreal and across Canada, marking the company’s first international expansion. In 1916, the California Perfume Company relocated its headquarters to New York
In 1920, the company achieved $1 million in sales for the first time. In 1928, the California Perfume Company (CPC) began using the name AVON on its products. The name was inspired by the River Avon, which flows through Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of David McConnell’s favourite playwright, William Shakespeare. The Avon logo, introduced in 1929, featured a sketch of Anne Hathaway’s cottage—the home of Shakespeare’s wife.
In 1931, 11 CPC products received the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval—an unprecedented achievement for a single company at the time. In 1932, the company shifted from a monthly campaign to a three-week sales cycle, which led to a 70% increase in sales during the Great Depression. By 1939, the California Perfume Company officially changed its name to Avon Products, Inc.
In 1946, Avon became a publicly traded company.
By 1948, its sales exceeded $21 million, marking a period of rapid post-war growth and expansion.
In 1953, Avon launches its first television commercial. In 1954, it introduces the “Ding Dong, Avon Calling” campaign, which runs until 1967, becoming one of the longest and most successful advertising campaigns in history. That same year, Avon begins operations in Venezuela and Puerto Rico. In 1955, Avon establishes a foundation in the United States, which will go on to become the largest corporate philanthropic organisation dedicated to supporting women worldwide.
In 1957, the number of Avon Representatives grows to 100,000, and the company’s sales exceed $100 million. Avon expands into new markets: Mexico (1958), the United Kingdom, West Germany, and Brazil (1959), Iceland (1960), Australia (1963), Italy, Spain, and France (1966), and Japan (1969). In 1961, Avon launches Skin-So-Soft—one of the company’s most recognisable brands. In 1964, Avon Products, Inc. (AVP) is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
In the 1970s, Avon enters new markets including Argentina, Guatemala, Chile, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, New Zealand, and El Salvador. In 1971, Avon begins selling jewelry. By 1972, sales revenue reaches $1 billion, and the company has over 600,000 Representatives worldwide. By 1978, the number of Representatives reaches one million, and total sales exceed $2 billion. That same year, Atlanta hosts the first Avon International Women’s Marathon.
W latach 80-tych Avon rozpoczyna działalność na rynkach: Honduras, Arabia Saudyjska, Tajwan, Peru, Portugalia, Zjednoczone Emiraty Arabskie, Dominikana, Austria, Liban, Północny Cypr, Wyspa Reunion, Mauritius, Indonezja. W 1986 roku Avon obchodzi swoje 100-lecie. Dzięki opatentowanemu produktowi BIOADVANCE, Avon jest pierwszą firmą, która wykorzystała w swoich produktach retinol. W 1988 roku wprowadza na rynek flagową linie Avon Color. W 1989 roku Avon jako pierwsza duża firma kosmetyczna całkowicie zaprzestaje przeprowadzania testów na zwierzętach.
In the 1990s, Avon expands into markets such as China, Hungary, East Germany, the Czech Republic, Panama, Ecuador, Bolivia, Russia, Poland, Slovakia, Turkey, Ireland, Egypt, South Africa, India, Nicaragua, Ukraine, Romania, Croatia, Tunisia, Uruguay, Paraguay, Hong Kong, Lithuania, Slovenia, Bulgaria, and Latvia.
In 1992, Avon launches the ANEW brand featuring the market’s first alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) technology. Avon UK initiates the Breast Cancer Crusade, while in the U.S., Avon becomes the first cosmetics company in the world to launch an e-commerce platform.
In 1999, Avon appoints its first female CEO, Andrea Jung. In 2003, the Avon Foundation organizes the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer.
In 2000, Avon enters new markets including Greece, Morocco, Estonia, Moldova, Serbia, South Korea, Kazakhstan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Vietnam, Colombia, Finland, Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro, Kyrgyzstan, and Georgia. In 2004, Avon launches the “Speak Out Against Domestic Violence” program, with Salma Hayek as its spokesperson. In 2005, Avon opens a research and development center in Suffern, New York.
In 2007, the company launches the global “Hello Tomorrow” campaign, and Reese Witherspoon becomes Avon’s first Global Ambassador.
By 2008, Avon reaches over $10 billion in sales, and in 2009, the number of Representatives surpasses 6 million.
In 2010, Avon launches the “Hello Green Tomorrow” tree-planting campaign, resulting in the planting of two million trees by the end of the year. This program builds on an employee initiative started in 2009 to raise awareness about environmental protection.
In the first decade of the new millennium, Avon expands into many new markets, with a strong focus on growth in Central and Eastern Europe as well as the Caribbean islands. Avon is now present in over 100 markets worldwide. In 2011, Avon celebrates its 125th anniversary.
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