POISED FOR GROWTH
Very high peaks were observed in the sale of immunological products, which, once the fear of the virus subsided, had a downward trend. Other categories, such as supplements that contribute to the strengthening of the circulatory and digestive systems, have had growth above 2020 figures. Omnilife has helped drive people to seek healthier lifestyle choices. The company faced its share of challenges, such as new ways of purchasing, delivery, and payments to distributors, as well as adapting to virtual events. However, today it is back to holding in-person events and living the new reality. Vergara says that the pandemic hit the company significantly at first, but a well-developed substitute product plan enabled the company to generate a well-informed campaign with its salesforce to communicate the options. In addition, strong relationships and good negotiations with suppliers allowed the company to be more agile in addressing supply chain issues.
Though the outlook for 2022 remains cautious, Omnilife CEO Amaury Vergara notes experts are pointing toward a business renaissance.
people’s health, but also because the Omnilife business model represented a source of employment. “To give you an example, the unemployment effect caused by the pandemic favored us by increasing the registration of new distributors by 16 percent—almost 450,000 new registered distributors,” says Vergara. “In 2020, historical monthly sales records were broken in at least eleven countries where Omnilife operates.” In 2020, the company grew by 15.4 percent compared to 2019. Twelve of its markets sales grow by more than 30 percent: Argentina (147%), Spain (98%), Uruguay (71%), Costa Rica (60%), Chile (42%), Guatemala (41%), Paraguay (41%), Panama (41%), US (35%), Colombia (33%), El Salvador (32%), and Russia (32%). Comparing sales this year from January to July versus sales from January to July 2020, six countries are growing significantly: Chile (149%), Argentina (55%), El Salvador (43%), Spain (35%), Perú (32%), and the US (20%). Based on data through August 2021, Omnilife estimates sales will increase for the year. Like other direct selling companies, Omnilife is facing unprecedented times; however, the company is experiencing historically record-breaking sales that can be attributed to the growth in its workforce numbers and the enthusiasm of distributors in promoting and selling the products.
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“From our manufacturing plant, we migrated versions between formats to compensate for the high demand in some formats of our production lines,” says Vergara. “For 2022, there will still be limited inputs in raw materials for products and packaging materials, so the challenges will continue.” Vergara says that the outlook for 2022 will be cautious, although he notes there are experts who point toward a business renaissance, or boom, similar to a post-war period. However, everything remains very uncertain. Whatever comes their way, Omnilife will be dedicated to being “People Taking Care of People,” and will continue to implement within its distributors the four fundamental pillars of the company—connection, evolution, integration, and transcendence— which will continue to define and guarantee solidity from its core. “As a company, we constantly seek to reinvent ourselves and transcend people,” Vergara says. “We truly believe that our results are stunning and that we are on the right track to continue changing the lives of millions of people around the world.” Omnilife is happy to share its growth and abundance with its distributors. That’s why this year it will bring 4,254 of its Independent Distributors who qualified in previous months to Dubai. PM-INTERNATIONAL: Company, Team Partners Evolve Together PM-International has achieved phenomenal growth over the last few years. Founded in 1993, the company was well on its way to becoming one of the top ten direct selling companies in the world before the pandemic hit. The Luxembourg-based company, which develops and markets premium nutritional