BEIJING—Direct sales of nutritional and personal care products are booming in the world's most populous country.
The sales sensation is particularly striking considering China expressly prohibits a business model that is typically associated with direct sales: multi-level marketing (MLM).
"Rising income, an aging demographic and a population increasingly moving from rural areas to urban life are driving growth in emerging markets such as China," said Chris Schmidt, consumer health industry analyst with Euromonitor International.