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Companies That Originally Sold Something Else
Some companies find their niche and stick to it. Others, though, have to adapt to changing markets in order to thrive. Mental Floss takes a look at some companies that switched industries at some point in their histories, usually for the better.
1. Avon
David H. McConnell started Avon in 1886 without really meaning to. McConnell sold books door-to-door, but to lure in female customers he offered little gifts of perfume. Before long, the perfume McConnell was giving away had become more popular than the books he was selling, so he shifted focus and founded the California Perfume Company, which later became Avon.2. Nokia
The telecom giant got its start in Finland in 1865, when Fredrik Idestam opened a pulp mill and started making paper on the banks of Tammerkoski. The company later bounced around a number of industries before getting serious about phones in the 1960s.3. Wrigley
Like Avon, the chewing gum company got its start with a popular freebie. William Wrigley, Jr. founded the company in 1891 with the goal of selling soap and baking powder. He offered chewing gum as an enticement to his customers, and eventually the customers didn’t care about the baking powder; they only wanted the gum.4. Coleco
The defunct electronics corporation actually began as a leather goods company in Connecticut in 1932. In the early days it was known as the Connecticut Leather Company, which was later shortened to “Coleco.”Photos by Avon/Nokia/Wrigley/Coleco.
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Angela Shupe on May 11th, 2010 3:16 pm
I had no idea that was how Avon and Wrigley got their start. That is interesting! It’s amazing how the least likely item can turn into the real money maker.
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