Doug DeVos, president of Amway unit Alticor, opened the company's 100th retail store in China in Shanghai at the end of February. The company, which uses direct selling in the rest of the world, had to switch to retail stores in China when the government banned direct selling in 1998. Stores now account for two-thirds of its mainland sales, with the rest coming from sales by company representatives to individuals, which is allowed in China. The company has invested Yn170m in the shops, which have an average floor space of 600 sq metres. They serve both as retail outlets and as training centres for its representatives.
In January, Amway opened a 40,000 sq metre distribution centre in Guangzhou, where the company also has a factory that can produce goods worth Yn10bn annually.