Poor Avon. The company has suffered sales declines year after year. In an effort to right the ship, Avon was roundly criticized for practically giving US operations away to Cerberus Private Equity. No, it hasn’t been easy for Avon, nor for other direct sellers in the household and personal products industry. We should know. Our Top 50 is loaded with companies that bypassed traditional retail outlets and sell directly to consumers. Some are doing better than others, but several major players including Amway and Mary Kay had a down year in 2016. Yet, their declines may be short-lived. Euromonitor International recently issued a new study highlighting the healthy growth prospects for direct selling despite the rising popularity and convenience of e-commerce.


According to “Direct Selling and Communities in the Internet Age,” the global direct selling market will grow 11.5% by 2021, driven by, what else, developing regions. The best opportunities for gains are expected to come in the Middle East and Africa, Asia Pacific and Latin America, in that order, predicts Euromonitor International. It’s an interesting outlook considering so many pundits have predicted the decline of direct sales, not to mention brick-and-mortar retailers, now that e-commerce has become a way of life for so many consumers.


Yes, the world is changing, but one thing that may never change is Procter & Gamble’s place in our Top 50. Even after the sale of a bevy of beauty brands to Coty, P&G remains solidly on top of our annual look at the biggest US-based companies in the global household and personal products industry. On the pages that follow, you’ll read about activities at P&G, Coty and 48 other companies that make up our Top 50. And to read about Unilever, L’Oréal, Shiseido and other household and personal product companies with headquarters outside the US, be sure to pick up the August issue of Happi which includes The International Top 30.


The Top 50


1 Procter & Gamble Cincinnati, OH $35.0 billion
2 Colgate New York, NY $12.9 billion
3 Estée Lauder New York, NY $11.3 billion
4 SC Johnson Racine, WI $10.0 billion
5 Johnson & Johnson New Brunswick, NJ $7.4 billion
6 L Brands Columbus, OH $4.7 billion
7 Ecolab St. Paul, MN $4.5 billion
8 Coty New York, NY $4.3 billion
9 Avon Products United Kingdom $4.1 billion
10 Mary Kay Addison, TX $3.5 billion


11 Amway Ada, MI $2.8 billion
12 Church & Dwight Ewing, NJ $2.6 billion
12 Clorox Oakland, CA $2.6 billion
12 New Diversey Charlotte, NC $2.6 billion
15 Revlon New York, NY $2.3 billion
16 Guthy-Renker El Segundo, CA $1.8 billion
17 Nu Skin Provo, UT $1.3 billion
18 New Avon New York, NY $940 million
19 Newell Brands Rye, NY $870 million
20 Rodan+Fields San Francisco, CA $850 million


21 Zep Atlanta, GA $680 million
22 Young Living Lehi, UT $600 million
23 Arbonne Irvine, CA $541 million
24 Nerium International Addison, TX $526 million
25 Inter Parfums New York, NY $521 million
26 Luminex Blue Ash, OH $480 million
27 Scentsy Meridan, ID $456 million
28 John Paul Mitchell Systems Beverly Hills, CA $450 million
29 Edgewell St. Louis, MO $425 million
30 Jafra Westlake Village, CA $408 million


31 Markwins International City of Industry, CA $403 million
32 WD-40 San Diego, CA $380 million
33 Tupperware Orlando, FL $350 million
34 High Ridge Brands Stamford, CT $340 million
35 Honest Company Los Angeles, CA $330 million
36 Prestige Brands Tarrytown, NY $308 million
37 Gojo  Akron, OH $300 million
38 Combe White Plains, NY $259 million
39 PDC Stamford, CT $258 million
40 Perfumania Bellport, NY $231 million


41 E.L.F. Oakland, CA $229 million
42 Seventh Generation Burlington, VT $225 million
42 Sundial Brands Amityville, NY $225 million
44 Too Faced Irvine, CA $220 million
45 Helen of Troy El Paso, TX $219 million
46 Hain Celestial Lake Success, NY $200 million
47 Spartan Chemical Maumee, OH $190 million
48 Atlantic Coast Brands Jersey City, NJ $160 million
49 Farouk Systems Houston, TX $140 million
50 Herbalife Los Angeles, CA $107 million