Amway to set up 50 retail stores by 2018 end

In a bid to underpin its global business model of direct and online sales, Amway India is looking forward to setting up 50 retail stores in the country by end-2018.

In India, Amway Corp's local unit has invested about Rs 1,000 crore. After this move, it will be the first in the company's global sales operations to have significant brick-and-mortar presence. The move is primarily aimed at simultaneously increasing consumer outreach and providing consumers and distributors the platform to directly buy the products.

However, direct sales will be the primary mode of operations in the country.

"We are, and will remain, a direct selling company with direct sellers as the key point of distribution. But visibility and easy access are important components of our growth strategy... we've lined up a number of initiatives to spur growth in India," Amway president Doug DeVos told ET.

Amway is targeting at enhancing its brand presence in the country comes against the backdrop of robust growth prospects for direct-selling of consumer products in India, where increasing affordability is expanding the consumer pyramid. It has already 32 'express pick & pay' stores so far in the country, which the company believes could lead its global growth drive.

"We're positive about our future in India and believe we'll continue to see strong growth here in 2017 and beyond," DeVos told ET.