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March 24, 2005
The business about the business
By Windy Hill in March of Perceptions
I was thinking that QBlog's readers might enjoy knowing a little more of the businesses behind the business that is the subject of so much debate here.
What follows is information anyone can find by perusing the several official websites of Alticor and its subsidiaries, Amway, Quixtar, and Access. But just so you don't have to do too much digging, I've distilled it here for you.
As you no doubt know, Rich DeVos and Jay Van Andel were best friends in high school and lifelong business partners whose one-product business begun in Jay's basement in the late 1950s became the multibillion dollar global enterprise most people in the world know as Amway.
Today the company called Alticor Inc. is a global corporation with products, business opportunities and manufacturing and logistics services in more than 80 countries. It is a HUGE operation and is the parent company of:
- Amway Corp., the direct selling company founded in 1959
- Quixtar Inc., the North American online affiliate
- Access Business Group, the manufacturer and distributor of products worldwide for Alticor and non-Alticor companies.
Alticor's world headquarters covers an area of over 1 million sq. ft. The "Miracle Mile" as it is called stretches along Fulton St. in the sleepy town of Ada, Michigan, where the company is definitely the biggest thing going.
Product development, manufacturing, logistics
Alticor's product focus is on nutrition, wellness, beauty, and home products. The company owns or manages manufacturing and distribution facilities throughout the world, including manufacturing facilities in China and the United States and distribution facilities in North America, Europe, and the Far East.
Access Business Group's R & D team consists of more than 400 employees in 65 labs worldwide. Their website says they can take a product from concept to production — including all the formulation, testing and etc. in between. The company holds 450 patents with another 250 patents pending.
Manufacturing capabilities in the U.S. include production of more than 500 different products in a 265 acre manufacturing complex here in Michigan and a half-million square feet of manufacturing space in California. Access also operates about 7,000 acres of organic-certified farmland in the U.S., Mexico, and Brazil.
As a logistics and fulfillment service, Access covers 1.725 million sq. ft. of distribution space, processing over 14 million packages yearly in the U.S. alone.
Like I said, this is no small enterprise.
Living better lives
More than 13,000 people work for Alticor around the world, including close to 4,000 in West Michigan. It is one of the region's top employers and has always been known as a fair and family friendly company to work for. The company is visible and active in community on many fronts, from partnering with the local school district to provide tutoring to inner city kids to sending busloads of volunteers to help with cleanup and rebuilding in the aftermath of a natural disaster.
In addition, the business opportunities you know as Quixtar (North America) and Amway (everywhere else) help more than 3.6 million people all over the world own and operate their own independent businesses. These are the IBOs you are all so familiar with.
In my view, the company's mission, helping people live better lives, is a statement that applies not only to those helped by the business opportunity, but also to those thousands of others whose livelihoods are inextricably tied to the fortunes of IBOs: people all over the world who are employed by Alticor.
Family legacy
The DeVos and Van Andel families are well known here as successful business leaders whose legacy I'd be hard pressed to imagine is matched in many other communities.
The families' philanthropy has been legendary. Their generosity is visible everywhere around Grand Rapids — from the Van Andel Research Institute, dedicated to improving human health, to the new state-of-the-art DeVos Place Convention Center.
The families were pioneers in the revitalization of downtown Grand Rapids in the early 1980s when they renovated the turn-of-the-century Pantlind Hotel to create the award-winning Amway Grand Plaza Hotel. They continue giving back to the community by funding or supporting initiatives in the arts, health, education, and social services.
The "March of Perceptions" is a special Quixtar BLOG project featuring the perceptions of four guest bloggers during the month of March.
Comments
I've been intrigued by your "name" - I understand the significance of it as it relates to Amway. It implies your ties to Amway are very, VERY close....LOL!
Care to explain???
You were also rather modest when explaining the Families' involvement in downtown GR - they SAVED the city. Of course, it gets confusing because it seems every major building is named DeVos or VanAndel something-or-another....LOL!
Take care!
Deb
Windy:
You have a couple of facts wrong. Alticor is _not_ the "parent company" of the Amway Corporation founded in 1959. It IS the Amway Corporation founded in 1959. I can show you a link to a pdf of the corporate records in Michigan if you want.
The company now known as "Amway Corporation" was founded in 1980 and was previously named "Amway Taiwan" and "Amway International." However, it is _not_ the corporation Rich and Jay founded in 1959.
Second, Alticor wasn't founded in 1959. The corporation itself was created in 1949 and originally named "JaRi Corporation." It was renamed "Amway Corporation" in 1959 but it's the same entity. Again, I can show you the corporate records from Michigan if you want.
On an unrelated note, helping people live better lives at the expense of many more people living worse ones is _not_ a noble goal. I would say that the corporation's leadership isn't responsible for that, but they know about it, and choose to do nothing even though they have a contractual right to control the conduct of the systems and their distributors.
Amway nearly ruined my life.
If it wasn't for my mother getting cancer and me breaking away from the "system" to take care of her, I would still today be a mindless AMbot, and probably bankrupt.
Look back at your history: some of the most evil and back-stabbing rulers in the ancient world were also great "philanthropists."
Doesn't make their crimes any less.
As for employing lots of people, whop-diddy-do-da-day. So does PhillpMorris. And cigarettes killed both my parents.
I'm not impressed. You must be drinking the same Kool-aid as the upline dependent independent losing money business owners.
Here are the Michigan corporate records:
http://www.cis.state.mi.us/bcs_corp/image.asp?FILE_NAME=D0253%5C00300%5C00300524.TIF
As you can see, "Alticor" IS "Amway Corporation" with a name change.
YAWN! Those facts and data are miniscule, compared to my home town company's... Wal-Mart and the Walton family influence and good works, easily blow away your "impressive" bragging.
This is typical Amway/Quixtar thinking...they honestly think that they are "THE COMPANY" of all companies, and any day now, they will rule the world.
Please, just about every city in America has a similar company with similar influence. Really, nice try.
I can't even begin to list all the stats of Wal-Mart, nor do I need to take the time to do so. I don't need to prove to anybody that Wal-Mart is legit, unlike Alticor, Amway, Quixtar, Access, or whatever you call yourselves these days.
Do yourself a favor...ONE name gets you more "name recognition"...oh, wait, you had that with Amway...that's right, you didn't want the name recognition of the company notorious for ruining people's lives and making most people cringe. Confusion, is just another tactic of cults, which the company supports!
Well, Jonas's Dad, the harm Wal-Mart has done has extended over a much broader area and hurt more people than Amway/Quixtar has. A/Q has harmed families; Wal-Mart has changed the infrastructure of the nation to serve itself at the expense of the rest of us.
Amongst other things, it is a PROVEN FACT that for every two part-time minimum wage job your company provides to a community, they remove three jobs of various pay scales and hours. Many of those jobs removed are good-paying jobs from busines that support their communities' other businesses. Also, your company has led the drive towards China, having moved your purchasing department to that nation.
And, let me add that when you talk about Wal-mart, you sound like a pathetic weakling who likes to terrorize people but can ONLY do so with a monster behind your back. We don't NEED to hear how great Wal-mart is from some employee -- we hear enough of it from the news and their detractors.
After 16 yrs in A/Q and 3yrs at Wally World in management I can tell you they are a lot alike.They don't pay squat!They are both pyramids.You can spend plenty of time making them richer.Don't do either one.
Hmmmm...I thought the Miracle Mile was in Chicago??? Another name-change mix up I guess!
It's great to be back. You've been a great crowd. Tip your waitress and try the veal!
Deb, I have much mayoral respect for your knowlege and expertise in this, and you can expect to be put on a mayoral blue ribbon panel.
But I have to disagree with you about DeVos and VanAndel saving Grand Rapids. They just turned it into a soulless bland megaopolis. And I can say that because, hey, I'm Mayor. Al Green is from Grand Rapids...do you really think Grand Rapids will ever produce someone with so much soul?
But I digres..
Don,
Come over to my blog and leave a comment, if you want to debate Wal-Mart. I don't want to waste this blog's space.
My point is that someone ignorant to the corporate and business world, like most foolish IBOs and their overly exicted prospects, might think that what is being said about how big their buildings are and all their employees and all that good stuff they do, gives the impression that Amway and Quixtar is the greatest thing since sliced bread! And, the most impressive and legitmate company in the world. And their NOT!
My experience comes from the most successful retailer in the world. That perspective helps readers realize that their claims, just aren't that impressive, in reality. Reality is something they don't seem to grasp.
In reply to my employer, think about this...employees at Wal-Mart aren't forced to work there, they applied for a job that pays on average $10.50 an hour, hardly minimum wage. And, nobody is forced to shop there, yet they do. America was founded on free enteprise, survival of the fittest. Lowering the cost of living and inflation of the US, is hardly doing damage. We are doing damage to the unions and our competitors, they are the ones spreading lies. And, again we live in a global economy. So, get with the times or get left behind. And, our purchase department is here in little Bentonville, AR, population 20,000 or so.
Finally, I'm not a pathetic weakling or a terrorist. Just a dad with a 4 month old baby, who wishes he could have the love of his life back and raise his son with mommy....and, is really PISSED OFF at the scum over at Quixtar who brainwshed her into thinking that because I know this crap is a joke and it took all of her days and nights to follow her false "dream" of being a milionaire in 2-5 years, that is was better she leave me after being married 1 1/2 weeks, because I didn't support her, even though I was financing all her cult... I mean, "motivational" materials.
Most businesses in this country would jump at an opportunity to become the next "Walmart", if they could do it. Few would sit back and play fair. If it was not Walmart, it would be someone else.
Walmart happens to be #1 now. I do not agree with their ethics. I probably would feel the same about #2, #3, #4 and etc. That goes for Quixtar and the motivational organizations too.
Hey Jonas dad:
Read this:
http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/77/walmart.html
Then you'll understand how Wal-Mart systematically destroys our nation's manufacturing infrastruture and sends jobs overseas, ruining the livelihood of thousands and thousands of Americans.
Please don't waste this blogs space! Come to my site if you want to argue about Wal-Mart. Sorry, Eric, I didn't intend for this to happen.
Last word! I know all the examples and arguments, and a lot of them are true. But, it's real simple...free enteprise & survival of the fittest. The suppliers are not forced to sell at Wal-Mart, and some choose not to, but someone else will and they will make a smaller profit margin, but a lot of money, thanks to the quantity of sales. If you can't figure out how to do it, you're not the fittest. The customers are not forced to shop there. You are free to spend more of your hard earned money for the same item at our competitor, if you feel sorry for them. And, employees aren't forced to work there, they can go and have their wages garnished by the unions, if they don't like the pay and benefits. AMERICANS ARE FREE!
I was just trying to make business comparisons.
Hey Embot:
The concern for overseas outsourcing has nothing to do with Walmart in particular. It is a "problem" in pretty much any industry today.
See, we now live in a global economy--where technology and information has made it easier to procure materials/services from out-of-country sources.
This evolution/revolution in business has become quite a challenge for American businesses. Instead of being fat/dumb/happy about selling to ourselves, we now have to find ways to create better product offerings in a timely fashion.
This will not be an easy task; but the end result (hopefully) will be a faster/better/stronger Amercian output and business ethic.
I am not sure if this is going over your head or not -- you are not one that beams the energy of high output or business ethic.
Good luck, you are gonna need it.
Good point, df.
That ties into one of the main problems with MLM. The idea is to place enough retail markup on a product to compensate someone for the expense of person to person sales of ordinary consumable products like TP, vitamins and shampoo.
However, the world economy has changed and the winners are the ones you truly utilize technology to bring products to the point of sale with minimal overhead, including well-developed shipping and distribution networks, and mass media marketing - two things MLM can't truly tap into.
The result is that the discount retailers and supermarkets deliver comparable goods with a substantially lower prices than MLM because they use a streamlined and effecient system to get the goods to their customers and consequently have a lower cost at the point of sale.
MLM was a good idea in the forties, fifties and sixties. It makes little economic sense for a full scale retail distribution and marketing system in the modern world though.
I really enjoyed reading the Chamber of Commerce piece by Windy. We now live in a world run by spin doctoring, focus groups and slick marketing, so why should Amway be any different?
The fact is that Amway is a multi-billion dollar enterprise which employs a lot of people worldwide. Its profits allow it to have enough political clout that the cynical marketing structure, in many cases illegally run (certainly immorally) will not be sufficient to cause its collapse. I believe that only the free market can eventually cause that collapse to happen- a free market based on the free exhange of information which helps people make good decisions based on fact, and not hype or false hope.
Arguments about which company is bigger and more important are futile: neither is every software company as large as Microsoft, but that fact does not make those other software companies existences moot or without value. The issue is not about which retail distributor is larger, rather it is about what value that company creates for its customers in the marketplace, its workers, and the economy in general.
A drug trafficker can be philanthropic; one can argue that ill-gotten gains can be put to good use. The life that is saved doesn't care about the source of the life saving. But what is the social cost associated with the saving of that life, or the performance of that good work? Now don't get me wrong, before you go accusing me of comparing Amway to drug dealers- that's not my point. But buying goodwill through philanthropy and general good works does not legitimize an organizations existance any more that declaring that something is true, just because I said it very loudly.
Jonas' Dad:
I understand why you'd be proud of your success in the biggest, most successful and most powerful company in the world. And I understand that much of what happens in the communities Wal-mart enters into is embraced by those who live in those communities. And I understand why -- Meijers (another company from Michigan) did what Wal-Mart did, only they stuck to cities larger than 100,000 people until the mid-nineties.
My beef with you is this: I read the stuff about Quixtar with my usual shaker of salt. Then you come along with words to the effect of "We're much bigger, nah nah-nah nah nah." And you take offense at the criticism leveled at your company? You want to take pride in your company, you should be able to stand the criticism as well; and the size of your company ALSO implies much larger, more wider-ranging damages and effects to the world.
Also: where I come from, the successful don't talk about their success but their future plans; everyone else speaks of their success in their terms. Your brags (as you work at a high level in your company) detract from their success, my bitter tirade (yes, i'm describing my earlier posting as that) is a form of high praise to the Wal-Mart corporation and its workers.
I'm not tryign to bring up Wal-Mart again, but I offer another extremely insightful example. Today, the company announced that Tom Coughlin the #2 guy and founder, who was heralded as the face of Wal-Mart, second to only Sam Walton himself, was forced to resign. Because internally they discovered he may have charged personal expense to company, something with gift cards, third party invoicing, etc. No details were given. Its company policy not even take a red cent from clients in pirks or gifts, etc. They turned it over to the US attorney's office. The same rules apply to the very founders of the company that apply to everyone.
Compare that integrity to Quixtar's, being manhandled by their kingpins, not doing anything about their excesses and possible illegalities.
Jonas' Dad:
That's actually a good example. I have no problem with that sort of posting, as it does two things:
1) Compares Wal-mart to Amway/Quixtar, and positively (bias is no problem with me)
2) It's not whining, it's explaining.
To be honest, I have no problem comparing the two companies; it's been done elsewhere in the anti-AmQuix website world.
(although hasn't Sam died already?)
Mayor,
Where does Al Green live, preach and sing?
:)
There is a big difference between engaging in a global economy and engaging in the tactics Wal-Mart uses in helping to destroy America's manufacturing base. Other, smaller companies have no choice, but to follow suit to stay competitive. It's a downward spiral fed off of people's ignorance. You got a problem with that? Take it up with Fast Company, not me. Read the article.
Wal Mart does not come up roses in the ethics department to be sure.
Big M, we've found common ground, but I still think Quixtar sucks, price wise.
I am not cheap, but I believe in value. I will not buy a pair of $75.00 (ice, for you Americans) skates. My last pair cost me $300.00. My feet are worth it.
Quixtar products do not provide value for what you spend, and that's why I don't believe that this is a good business opportunity.
Because of the tools scam, I think it's an absolutely ludicrous waste of money.
But hey, go diamond! If you have only been in Quixtar, not Amway, and you become a diamond within 5 years you'll likely be the first Quixtar only diamond!!!
Shoot for the stars, but not on this rocket.
Em-bot:
So you are just focused on attacking Wal-mart? Fine, that's great -- you need to be on a different post in a different forum.
But, if you want to make AmQuix look better by comparing it against ONE company (i.e. Walmart) then you have one sorry excuse of a defense.
Wal-mart isn't that high on my list either. I've been there once in 5-6 years and I itch just thinking about the place/patrons.
But that is NOTHING compared to the creeps that you Ambots give me!
Imagine if neither Walmart (or Kmart, Target, any brick-and- mortar) nor Quixtar could not gain any NEW customers. They could keep their present customers, but could not gain any new ones. Which businesses would make it and which ones would have to fold?
Ok let's hear some ideas how Quixtar can be improved both from the standpoint of the corporation and also of the organizations. I still think the organizations are necessary to provide training and motivation on a local level. How about some definite, positive, workable ideas? Ones which will still allow for real growth with competitiveness and also provide a sense of fairness for all. We all know what's wrong, what could be done to make it right? Maybe we can find some more common ground for this as well.
YEAH! and while we're at it...let's hear some ideas how Al Queda can be improved both from the standpoint of the corporation and also of the organizations. I still think the organizations are necessary to provide training and motivation on a local level. How about some definite, positive, workable ideas? Ones which will still allow for real growth with competitiveness and also provide a sense of fairness for all. We all know what's wrong, what could be done to make it right? Maybe we can find some more common ground for this as well.
Go read Merchants of Deception...ALL OF IT! You'll see that getting rid of all the "social" aspects and the "motivational" cult crap, is the only hope. Dave on the Road has figured it out. Or, they could always change their name again, that helped salvage a couple more years of existence, thanks to the confusion.
370HSSV-0773H
Em, What exactly was that last post supposed to mean?
Again , I ask, given the situation that Quixtar could make no NEW customers, but keep the ones it already has, could this business make it? I doubt it , because "buying from yourself" doesn't make much sense if you're wanting to use your money in the wisest way. It only makes sense if you can convince other people to do so, so you can, down the line, be able to afford to "buy from yourself." People wouldn't choose to buy AQ products because, believe it or not, most people just don't like to spend more money for things they can get cheaper elsewhere. That's common sense. AQ isn't about the product, plain and simple, but to be an ethical business, (especially when it touts Christian values) it SHOULD be.
Jonas's dad, I thinkg that immature little outlash was Big M's way of saying I can't argue the facts, so I'll take childish pokes to deflect.
Don't acknowledge reality, deflect, deflect, I can't hear you...............I'M A WINNER!!!!
The company mission if it were honest would read, helping a few select people live better lives by screwing the vast majority of others.
I am convinced that the original intent of Amway is not what is happening, but I am also certain that the fault lies squarely in Ada, MI for allowing it to perpetuate.
If giving to noble causes helps them sleep at night, good for them.
But it doesn't solve the problem.
"Ok let's hear some ideas how Quixtar can be improved both from the standpoint of the corporation and also of the organizations."
How about shutting down the pyramid and all other scams like it?
So that way, little runny nose punks like yourself won't get your grandma to lose her hard earned savings backing up chumps like you in a no-win situation!
Em-bot, you straight up lost this rap-battle son. Back to 8-mile with ya!
Inquiringmind: Unfortunately yours was the only response that seemed to have some interest in dialog. We can talk about the products and we should. There have always been proven, steady markets for some of the product lines, namely Nutrilite, dating from the 30's. Granted there is a price-point to consider for such items as XX. But considering the bio-dynamic and organic agricultural practices used to grow and process the raw materials at Lakeview, plus the stringent manufacture processes used, it is a unique product. Nothing else on the market can offer this kind of traceability and accountability all the way to the source, especially anything available at a mass merchandiser. Further, how the unique manufacture of the tabs allows the body to assimilate the ingredients in XX is another factor in differentiating Nutrilite from more common, less expensive brands.
As a long-time proven leader in distributor sales, first in Nutrilite, then Amway, nutrition products are today available as a profitable focus for many Quixtar IBOs, especially at the retail level as well as at the bonus level.
Re-establishing Nutrilite sales focus among new and existing IBOs will go far in supporting steady growth in areas of new customers as well as a maintaining a profitable base with current ones.
Yeah, except that your prices are too high.
Double X IS a good vitamin. I have a good friend in the health business, and he has even told me that, while ridiculously overpriced, it is a good product. However, it is also compared with other vitamins that cost $20.00 a bottle.
Look dude, nobody is saying the products are not good. I can't think of an instance when someone has posted anything to that effect.
The bottom line here is, interestingly enough, the bottom line.
You can't control the prices, even though it's your business(!)
You have a market for Double X, no doubt.
But it's nothing compared to the value and quality that any good GNC store can provide.
AND they don't think it's essential to listen to a bunch of overpriced motivation in order to succeed with life.
So, your product (Double X) is confined to IBO's. So is the motivation, because not too many of your speakers would succeed at doing motivation outside of Amway rallies.
But if you can succeed due to a captive audience, fill your boots.
I just don't think it's going to happen for you, sorry.
Hey Emm -
I really believe that the only way to get to common ground is for the Pro-Q side to acknowledge that the few that make it (or even make any working profit) do so at the expense of the thousands who jump in, buy products & tools, see that it isn't workable & get out.
That's why the Anti-Q keeps bringing up the same type of stories - from IBOs who were in for 10 days or 10 years. We know that the products are OK, and that some are superior to the competition. But in most cases, if the system were not closed (with virtually all product and all tools) going to IBOs, the products could not stand up to the downward price pressure of the open market. Other than preferring one flavor over another, I liked all of the Q stuff I bought as I was researching the opportunity & products. I also realized that the commissions on them (to me) didn't justify the out-of-pocket cost I incurred to buy/sell them. In fact, if my budget allowed, I'd buy XX from Q today. But it's just so out of line that it's not workable. Likewise for the expenses of the system.
Of course, if the prices came in line with standard retail and the tools were priced competitively or offerred online free . . . . . the artificial incentive to pursue the opportunity would disappear. That's really what we're after. To expose the incentives as artificial. If they were not, there would be no need for mysterious meetings or vague answers from upline or hidden tool money. Look, some folks buy Yugos (they're coming back on the market!) and some folks by Infinitis. They get what they pay for, on the open market. If you could only get a car by buying "direct from the maker" via meetings, plugging in, paying comissions 6 levels deep (or whatever) and the Yugo ended up costing the same as the Infinity, would you still defend the Yugo Ownership Opportunity? No, right?
We (almost) all tried they products, tried selling them, tried the systems and judged them (as a whole) to be uncompetitive - even with our J-O-Bs and WalMart products. Why support it artificially?
Emm,
So do you think that even without new customers in AQ, ibo's could still make decent profit? Would becoming a diamon still be possible?
Anyone one else is welcome to chime in with their own speculation.
Inquiringmind
no and no. I don't really know what could make Q more profitable, other than more volume on reasonably priced products.
But then it would be clear what your intentions would be when becoming an IBO, and that would never do.
Nobody would sign up then.
It amazes me how em-bot has changed his tune during this thread -- first it was attacking Walmart to make A/Q look good; which after that was disproved; em-bot goes on to 'find the positive' of A/Q.
Then em-bot turns his tirade into a marketing pitch for his snakeoil vitamins!
You gotta be kidding me, right?
Inquiringmind- I believe there is currently a significant problem attracting new customers. I mean, what do you really call the stuff? Quixtar products? That's a business model. Amway? No longer used. Alticor? That's the corporate name. Access Business Group?
First of all, nothing is tying all the product lines together, let alone all the peripheral catalog merchandise, along with the partner stores. There is no brand identity, which is one of the most valuable assets of any company's product lines. In a way, I wish it would go back to "Amway" name, it had recognition, albeit in a bad way, but people knew what the products were and actually came to respect L.O.C., SA8 and Nutrilite regardless of the business model.
What we have today is a set of catalogs, Choices, Store for More, etc. really only directed to IBOs to increase point volumes by offering mostly mundane items used in every aspect of an IBOs life and business.
There is no pizazz, no unique selling proposition Alticor makes. Few REAL customers shop here out of being able to fulfill a set of psychological needs that can be obtained by most any other marketing venue, whether it be a discounter like TJMaxx, a premium type store/catalog, or even other direct marketers such as Watkins.
There's too much product, not enough focus, and no set of values or mission. To maintain any viability in the future, Alticor needs to begin marketing and offering product lines that will appeal to the public in general.
The answer to your question is obvious Em. MLM is a very slow way to build a brand. It worked somewhat when the market for consumables wasn't dominated by mass media and giant, international chain discounters and supermarkets. It doesn't work anymore. It can't compete.
Add to that, Amway had no choice but to abandon it's name and its brand, despite 40 years building it, because there is no adequate system for protecting its brand, which was so sullied by motivational tools systems and IBOs engaging in all manner of socially unacceptable behavior that the company's flagship trademark became a household joke.
Where do you go from there? There's been no change in the method or management at the corporation. The same problems that forced them to drop their previous branding are sullying the new one. And now they are trying to rebuild some brand recognition in an age of mass market discounters with which they have no hope of competing. The best Amway/Quixtar will ever manage in the modern world is its mutually parasitic relationship with the AQMOs, foisting a cult mentality on IBOs and convincing them to buy overpriced products against their better judgment.
There is no growth in the distributor force. There are as many IBOs today as there were in 1972. The vast majority of the products are purchased by the IBOs buying their points as part of the absolutely inane "change your buying habits and teach others to do the same"/prosumer pyramid scheme nonsense. And the publicity just keeps getting worse and worse and more information is made public about the dirty secrets this cesspool of a business has been sitting on for the past three decades.
BTW, I did retail Amway products. Quite a few of them, in fact. If you want to read about it, you can look at my "Introductions" entry in the Qblog Forum.
Helping people live better lives is a very noble cause. The sad thing is that many people have had their lives made worse by the questionable practices of the AMOs. Quixtar certainly has helped the kingpins lead better lives.
At best, Quixtar and its affiliates turn a blind eye to these practices.
It is unfortunate that many of the otherwise commendable activities listed in this post go unnoticed as a result of the activities of the AMOs.
Posted by: The Buzzard | March 24, 2005 1:13 PM