Direct Selling/Home Selling

Direct selling/home selling, also known as door-to-door selling is one of the major non-store retailing methods. Of course, it is the most ancient method of marketing known to man. Before marketing channels came into being, the producer was selling his product to the user directly: However, direct selling in the context of modern mass marketing of branded products needs to be explained specifically:

Some experts make out a minor distinction between the two, by referring to direct selling by employee salespersons as home selling, and direct selling by independent salespersons-cum- distributors as direct selling. There does not seem to be any logic in this approach. On the contrary; we can think of one or two more meaningful distinctions between the two. While home selling invariably takes place at customer’s home, direct selling can take place either at the customer’s home or her work place. Second, while home selling is always one-to-one, direct selling can at times be to a group. The latter method is referred to as party selling or one to many direct selling

It is, however, safer and more logical to treat them as one and the same.

Direct Selling Catches up in India: In recent years, direct selling has been catching up in India rapidly: Avon, Amway, and Oriflamme are all now present in India. So is Tupperware, which is in the business of plastics food containers Medicare has been using the method for quite some time now for selling its homecare and personal care products.