Direct Selling Industry Survey

Industry trends, profiles and statistics...

This survey data relates to the Direct Selling of consumer goods during the calendar year 2002 in the United Kingdom*. It applies to transactions with private customers in their homes or at places of work in which a sales person:

• Either demonstrates the product or presents a product catalogue
• Collects an order
• Collects payments for goods or arranges for payment or credit transactions
• Delivers the product or arranges subsequent delivery, either personally, through the company or through a home party hostess

*Please note that the DSA Ireland survey is currently being compiled and will be available soon.

Sales volumes

In 2002 the total volume of Direct Sales in the UK showed an increase of 29% over the previous year and a decade of sustained growth. The Direct Sales of consumer goods, with average sales per home of £90 pa, accounted for 17% of the £12 billion home shopping market in the UK.

Retail transactions

In 2002, 111 direct selling businesses, accounted for 90% of total sales, accounted for 108 million individual retail transactions at an average value of £18.95

Category	Value and Range of Products Sold	Retail Sales (incl VAT) £ million	%
Personal	Cosmetics, fragrances, skincare, jewellery, ladies & children's clothes and other personal items	527.8	26
Food	Frozen and other foods	74.5	4
Wellness	Nutritional, supplements, diet plans & other products	139.4	7
Household	Security, water treatment, energy saving, electrical, home decorative, furnishings, cookware, tableware, kitchenwares, home & car cleaning, other household	295.5	14
Family	Books, toys, games, audio, video, financial, other household products and business aids	354.3	17
Services	Telecoms & utilities	649.6	32
Total	All products & services	2040.9	100%

Sales personnel - numbers of self employed Direct Sellers at 31 Dec 2002

Hours Worked	Numbers	%
Full Time (over 30 hours per week)	21510	4
Part Time (under 30 hours per week)	520834	96
Total	542344	100

Selling Methods

Method	£ million	%
Person to Person	1875	92
Party Plan	166	8
Total	2041	100

About the Direct Selling Association of Ireland...