Reps slam door on Avon as company cuts commissions

Avon is facing growing anger from its sellers after cutting commission rates in a move that some workers say has wiped out more than two-thirds of their income.

- KARL MATCHETT

Changes to pay structures, which affect thousands of representatives across the UK, have been introduced alongside shifting targets and reduced incentives - leaving many reps feeling misled, and prompting some to walk away from the company altogether.

The cosmetics and homeware brand, known for its historic door-to-door model, has long relied on a network of representatives to sell products across the UK. But many of those reps now say they're being forced to leave, unable to make the numbers work.

The Independent has seen internal company emails that appear to downplay the impact of the changes. One message claimed earnings in a particular category would fall by "2 to 3 per cent" but in fact this referred to a drop of up to three percentage points, which in some cases equates to a real-terms loss of 33 per cent.

For example, team leaders previously earned between 7.5 and 9 per cent commission from the sales of those in their team. That has now been cut to between 5 and 6.5 per cent. Coordinators saw similar reductions, with earnings in some cases dropping by as much as 40 per cent.

One of the most contentious changes relates to Avon's fashion and home category, which accounts for around 15 per cent of its UK sales. Commissions in this area have been capped at 10 per cent, down from a previous maximum of 32 per cent - a cut of more than two-thirds (68.75 per cent) for top-tier earners. The company said the change was due to "continued rising manufacturing and supply costs".