Subscriptions & direct selling in the U.S. - statistics & facts

Direct sales in the U.S.

Although the direct selling and multi-level marketing business model is used in many locations worldwide, major examples being China, Japan, and Germany, the world’s leading market by far is the United States. Specifically, the country’s annual direct sales amounted to a total of nearly 43 billion U.S. dollars in 2021, which is a significant increase compared to just two years earlier. Not only was the United States the largest market for selling directly to customers, but it was also home to some of the industry’s biggest companies and brands, including Herbalife, Mary Kay, and Nu Skin Enterprises. With an annual revenue of close to nine billion U.S. dollars, Amway was the largest multi-level marketing company in the United States and worldwide.

Subscription boxes and services

In recent years, the subscription box has become ever more prevalent in the United States. When asked why they paid for subscription boxes, many U.S. subscribers stated it was easier than shopping and that they wished to try out new products. As the concept has grown in popularity over the years, so has the number of options for people to choose from. Some of the best-known and most popular subscription box services in the United States included Dollar Shave Club, Chewy, Barkbox, HelloFresh, among many others.

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