Kansas City Star:
It’s show time, and Tony Renfro of Liberty is ready with his garlic, vegetables, two kinds of cheese, creamy sauces — and, of course, his Pampered Chef cookware.
Nine women are gathered for this demonstration, which will result in a garden ranch pizza and several hundred dollars in sales if all goes well.
Two hours later in Lee’s Summit, Marilyn Mayer covers an oval kitchen table with velvety black cloth, the better to display her silver Silpada jewelry for sale.
As job cuts and pay cuts abound, and as the ranks of the unemployed and underemployed increase, new soldiers are signing up in direct sales. Renfro and Mayer are among them.
For many people looking to patch up the home budget, person-to-person sales have become a savior in tough times. Hard numbers aren’t in for the industry as a whole, but reports from several direct-selling companies and anecdotal evidence show that recruiting is up and sales are up, or soon will be.
Logo from Pampered Chef