List of multi-level marketing companies explained

This is a list of companies which use multi-level marketing (also known as network marketing,^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5]} direct selling,^[6] referral marketing,^[7] and pyramid selling)^{[8] [9] [10] [11] [12]} for most of their sales.

Active

• 5Linx
• ACN Inc.
• AdvoCare
• Ambit Energy
• American Income Life Insurance Company
• Amsoil
• Amway^[13]
• Amway Global, previously known as Quixtar
• Ann Summers^[14]
• Arbonne International
• Avon Products
• Barefoot Books^[15]
• Beachbody^[16]
• BioPerformance
• The Body Shop
• Cutco
• Discovery Toys
• doTerra^[17]
• Educo Seminar
• Forever Living Products
• FreeLife
• Fuel Freedom International
• Herbalife
• Isagenix International
• Juice Plus
• LegalShield, previously known as Pre-Paid Legal Services
• LifeVantage (Protandim)
• LimeLife
• Longrich
• LuLaRoe
• Lyoness
• Mannatech
• Market America
• Mary Kay
• Medifast
• Melaleuca^[18]
• Monat
• Morinda, Inc.^[19]
• National Safety Associates
• Nature's Sunshine Products
• Neal's Yard Remedies Organic
• Nu Skin Enterprises^[20]
• Omnilife
• Oriflame
• Pampered Chef
• PM-International
• Primerica
• Pure Romance
• Qnet, previously known as QuestNet, GoldQuest, and QI Limited
• Rodan + Fields
• Scentsy
• Seacret
• SeneGence
• Shaklee
  • Southwestern Advantage Stream Energy
• Success University
• Sunrider
• Swarovski Touchstone Crystal
• Tastefully Simple
• Telecom Plus and its main subsidiary Utility Warehouse^[21]
• Tupperware
• USANA Health Sciences
• Usborne Publishing
• Vector Marketing
• Vemma^[22]
• ViSalus
• Wakaya Perfection
• Watkins Incorporated
• World Financial Group
• XanGo
• Young Living
• Younique
• YTB International

Defunct

• Beautycounter (dissolved in 2024)
• Betterware (placed into administration in 2018) ^[23]
• Black Oxygen Organics (shut down in November 2021)^[24]
• BurnLounge (shut down as pyramid scheme by FTC in 2012)
• Equinox International (dissolved in 2001)
• European Grouping of Marketing Professionals/CEDIPAC SA (dissolved in 1995)
• European Home Retail (dissolved in 2007)
• Fortune Hi-Tech Marketing (dissolved in 2013)
• FundAmerica (bankrupt in 1990)^[25]
• Holiday Magic (dissolved in 1974)
• House of Lloyd (a.k.a. "Christmas Around the World") (filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2002)
• Kleeneze (went into administration in 2018)
• The Longaberger Company (dissolved in 2018)^[26]
• Metabolife (dissolved in 2005)
• MonaVie (went into foreclosure 2015)
• Nouveau Riche (real estate investment college) (dissolved in 2010)
• NXIVM^{[27] [28]}
• Seasilver (ceased trading in 2006)
• Solavei (dissolved in 2015)^[29]
• Royal Tongan Limu (dissolved in 2003)
• Sunshine Empire (dissolved in 2009)
• Telexfree (bankrupt in 2014)
• United Sciences of America (dissolved in 1987)
• WakeUpNow (dissolved in 2015)

Notes and References

1. Pratt . Michael G. . Rosa . José Antonio . Transforming work-family conflict into commitment in network marketing organizations . The Academy of Management Journal . 46 . 4 . 395–418 . 2003. 30040635 .
2. Vander Nat . Peter J. . Keep . William W. . Marketing Fraud: An Approach for Differentiating Multilevel Marketing from Pyramid Schemes . Journal of Public Policy & Marketing . 21 . 1 . 139–15 . 2002 . 10.1509/jppm.21.1.139.17603. 154490614 .
3. Merrilees . Bill . Miller . Dale . Direct Selling in the West and East: The Relative Roles of Product and Relationship (Guanxi) Drivers . Journal of Business Research . 45 . 3 . 267–273 . 1999. 10.1016/S0148-2963(97)00238-5 .
4. Cahn . Peter S. . Building down and Dreaming up: Finding Faith in a Mexican Multilevel Marketer . American Ethnologist . 33 . 1 . 126–142 . 2006 . 10.1525/ae.2006.33.1.126.
5. Marcason . Wendy . What Are the Facts and Myths about Mangosteen? . Journal of the American Dietetic Association . 106 . 6 . 986 . 2006 . 10.1016/j.jada.2006.04.008. 16720137 .
6. Web site: Valentine. Debra A.. Pyramid Schemes. FTC. May 13, 1998. July 30, 2015 .
7. Web site: multi-level marketing (a.k.a. network marketing & referral marketing) – The Skeptic's Dictionary . Skepdic.com . 1991-12-09 . 2010-02-04.
8. Book: Edwards, Paul . Franchising & licensing: two powerful ways to grow your business in any economy . Tarcher . 1997 . 356 . 0-87477-898-0.
9. Book: Clegg, Brian . The invisible customer: strategies for successive customer service down the wire . Kogan Page . 2000 . 112 . 0-7494-3144-X.
10. Book: Higgs, Philip . Smith, Jane . Rethinking Our World . Juta Academic . 2007 . 30. 978-0-7021-7255-7.
11. Book: Kitching, Trevor . Purchasing scams and how to avoid them. Gower Publishing Company . 2001 . 4 . 0-566-08281-0.
12. Book: Mendelsohn, Martin . The guide to franchising . Cengage Learning Business Press . 2004 . 36 . 1-84480-162-4.
13. Book: Roha, Ronaleen R.. The Ups and Downs of "Downlines". Kiplinger's Personal Finance. 66. November 1991.
14. Web site: Tatum . Megan . Easy money and exploitation: should grocery brands explore multi-level marketing? . . 10 April 2020 . 28 November 2019.
15. Web site: Lacey . Hester . Success Story: 8 Hints From The Publisher Who Said No To Amazon . . 10 April 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200410062205/https://www.forbes.com/sites/hesterlacey/2014/01/30/success-story-8-hints-from-the-publisher-who-said-no-to-amazon/ . 10 April 2020 . 30 January 2014.
16. Web site: Beach Body Grows Exponentially Thanks to Network Marketing . Rovell . Darren . 31 January 2011 . CNBC . 2015-03-28.
17. News: Harvey. Tom. Judge dismisses much of lawsuit between rival Utah 'oils' companies. July 22, 2015. The Salt Lake Tribune. October 23, 2014.
18. Web site: Berman. Phyllis. If You Believe. Forbes. October 11, 2004.
19. Web site: DSN Global 100: The Top Direct Selling Companies in the World . June 2010 . Direct Selling News . https://web.archive.org/web/20101204160922/http://www.directsellingnews.com/index.php/site/entries_archive_display/global_100_the_top_direct_selling_companies_in_the_world . December 4, 2010 . dead . 2010-11-15.
20. Industries: State of Reliefs . https://web.archive.org/web/20071101083924/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1541294-1,00.html . dead . November 1, 2007 . Ressner, Jeffrey . 2006-10-01. Time.
21. News: Jones . Rupert . Utility Warehouse: is its 'life-changing' scheme really ab fab? . The Guardian . 7 December 2019 . 5 January 2024.
22. News: Celarier. Michelle. Verve energy drink turning college students into sales force. 2015-03-28 . New York Post. 29 September 2013.
23. Web site: Spoon rest and egg separator catalogue company Betterware has folded. Dalling. Robert. 2018-04-30. walesonline. 2020-02-20.
24. Web site: 'Magic dirt': How the internet fueled, and defeated, the pandemic's weirdest company . NBC News . 4 December 2021 . en.
25. News: Crouch. Gregory. FundAmerica Files for Bankruptcy, Cites 2 Overseas Creditors. Los Angeles Times. 18 August 1990.
26. News: Penke. Patty. The Iconic Longaberger Company Shuts Down: Will Those Collectible Baskets Be Worthless Now?. 8 October 2019.
27. Web site: Women say they were branded and traumatized by secret group's doctors. CBSNews.com. 20 October 2017 . CBS. 13 November 2017.
28. Web site: Odato. James. Lawyer attacks NXIVM 'scheme'. TimesUnion.com. The Hearst Corporation. 13 November 2017.
29. Web site: Soper. Taylor. Multi-level marketing mobile service provider Solavei shuts down due to 'competitive landscape'. GeekWire. 31 December 2015.