Last August, Direct Selling News Shared An Update On PM-International, A Luxembourg-based Developer Of Premium Health, Fitness, And Beauty Products, Distributed Through Its Independent Sales Force Of Some 35,000 Distributors. The Company Broke The Billion Dollar Barrier In 2019, That Same Year It Opened Its Headquarters In The Americas In Sarasota, Florida.
The United States Is One Of More Than 40 Countries In Which PM-International Operates. Despite The Myriad Operational Challenges Posed By The Global COVID-19 Pandemic For Companies Across All Sectors, CEO Rolf Sorg Was Looking Toward Grand Openings In Canada And Indonesia And Business Expansion In Europe.
Business Growth Award
In 2020, PM-International Increased Its Annual Sales By 54% To $ 1.71 Billion, $ 600 Million More Than The Previous Year. In September Alone, The Company Posted A Sales Increase Of 88% In The Americas Region. This Remarkable Growth Earned The Company Direct Selling News The First Bravo International Growth Award.
The Company Modified Its Strategies In A Year Of Quick Reactions And Decisions, And A Focused Approach To Solving Challenges Imposed By The Context.
Even Before The Pandemic, The Company Was Showing A Growing Interest In Wellness As A Primary Driver Of Consumer Spending. That Interest Only Accelerated When Consumers Began To Consider How To Take More Preventative Health Measures From Home, If Not From The Doctor’s Office. PM-International Had The Technical Infrastructure, Agility, Culture And Most Importantly, The Vision Necessary To Turn Challenges Into Opportunities And Not Only Maintain But Expand Its Global Presence.
Expansion In America, EU, And Asia / Pacific
PM-International Opened Its Canadian Subsidiary Last Year In Toronto, And Its Rapidly Growing Distributor Base Saw A 171% Increase In Sales In 2020 Compared To The Previous Year. The Company Had Active Customers And Distribution Partners In Canada In 2019, As Part Of A Pre-Launch Phase In Which Products Could Be Purchased For Consumption “For Personal Use Only.” The New Branch Opened Once The Company Reached A Designated Threshold For Sales. Furthermore, In 2020, They Also Entered The Belgian Market And Opened A New Subsidiary Responsible For Administration And Logistics In Belgium And The Netherlands to support Further Growth In These Markets.
In 2021, It Celebrated The Next Steps Of Opening Its Indonesian Market With A Founders Meeting And Pre-Launch Event In April. PM-International Plans For The Rest Of The Current Year, A Further Expansion In Central And South America; The Opening Of Markets In Great Britain, Hungary, Portugal, Vietnam, And China.
Last Year, The Company Received Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) Certification For Its Headquarters In America, Including A New Logistics Center. GMP Is A System To Ensure That Products Are Constantly Produced And Controlled By Quality Standards. This Year, PM-International Is Expanding Its Warehouse By Approximately 7,000 Square Feet And Plans A Second Administration Building With An Additional 3,500 Square Feet. In addition, its North American Branches In Pittsburgh Will Move To New Facilities This Summer, And The Company Plans To Open Another Office For The West Region To Support Expansion In The Americas.
Commitment, Flexibility, Leadership
Given The Inherent Flexibility Of Direct Selling As A Business Model, The Industry Was Well Positioned To Weather The Storm Brought By The Global COVID-19 Pandemic. Therefore, The Concept Of Selling And Team Building From Afar Was No Stranger, And The Shift To A More Home-Based Business Was Not As Potentially Detrimental To Distributors’ Livelihoods. However, What Seems To Have Distinguished The Good Success Stories From The Great Ones Are Those Companies Committed To Staying On Top Of The Digital Trends That Preceded The Pandemic.
PM-International’s Existing Digital Infrastructure Enabled The Company To React Quickly In The Early Months Of The Pandemic And Continue To Move Towards A More Virtual Business Model. For example, in The Early Days Of Blocking Orders Around The World, The Company Immediately Waived Shipping Charges For Customer Orders Of $ 50 Or More.
In Early 2020, The Company Also Launched PM TV, An Online Platform Offering Unlimited Streaming Events, Training, And Information To An Independent Sales Force Around The World, Available In 12 Languages With No Viewer Limits. In addition, team Partners Are Now Equipped To Consult With Their Customers Via Video Conferencing From Home And Place Orders Online, Which PM-International Within Its Customer Direct Program Fully manages.
Although Sorg Maintains That Virtual Sales Will Never Completely Replace Personal Interaction Between Distributors And Customers, “Digitization Makes Our Business Opportunity More Accessible, Easier To Use And More Profitable For Our Team Partners. ”
However, Hybrid Style Events Is A Change That Will Become A Permanent Feature At PM-International. Team Partners Will Have The Option To View An Event Live On-Site Or As Part Of A Public Viewing Event At Their Local Subsidiary, Or As An Online Broadcast On PM TV From The Comfort Of Their Own Homes.
Some Events, Such As Company Product Academies And Corporate Trainings, Will Remain Strictly Online.
Staying Focused On The Big Picture
The Remarkable Success Of PM-International Has Enabled The Company To Redouble Its Sustainability And Philanthropic Commitments 2020 And 2021. In September, At Its First Americas Congress Online Event, It Announced The Expansion Of Its PM We Care Program. Currently The Largest Corporate Sponsor Of The Humanitarian Aid Organization World Vision, PM-International Sponsors 3,000 Children In 25 Countries; Their Long-Term Goal Is 10,000 Sponsored Children.
In Early 2021, The Company Assumed The Sponsorship Of A Third Area Program Focused On Nutrition And 500 Sponsored Children In Zimbabwe. In addition, in Support Of Its PM Helps Initiative, The Company Also Provided € 1 Million In Monetary And In-Kind Donations To Fund Coronavirus Relief Efforts In Some Of The World’s Worst-Hit Regions.
In January, PM-International Announced A Sustainability Initiative that intends to develop 100% Recyclable Packaging Material For All Of Its Products By The End Of This Year. The Cardboard Packaging For Your FitLine Products Is Currently Made From 100% Recycled Material And The Packaging Printing Ink Does Not Contain Mineral Oil. In addition, FitLine Activize Cans Come With Scoops Made From 100% Natural Starch, Helping The Company Save More Than 10 Tons Of Plastic Per Year. All FitLine Skin Cosmetic Products Are Free Of Microplastics, And Their Packaging Is 100% Recyclable.
PM-International Is Currently In The Final Stages Of Development And Testing To Meet This Sustainability Goal And Offer 100% Recyclable Packaging For All Its Products By The End Of 2021.
While Many Of The Future Realities Of The Post-COVID World Are Confusing, It Is Clear That The Companies That Have Been Able To Thrive During This Extraordinary Adversity Are Those That Are Not Only Digitally Mature, But Also Anticipate, Prepare For, And Embrace Change As A Consequence. Average Growth And Development. In Doing So, They Create A Base Of Strength That Allows Them To Weather Almost Any Storm.
About PM-International
PM-International Is A Company That Produces And Markets Nutritional Supplements, Weight Control Products, Sports Nutrition, And Beauty. Founded In 1993, It Is Headquartered In Luxembourg And Has A Presence In Several Countries Around The World. Currently, The Company Has Estimated Annual Sales Of One Billion Dollars.
