Coleman Research Group’s Consumer Goods & Services Group facilitates consultations between our clients and leading consumer goods, retail, and services professionals a wide variety of topics including consumer products manufacturers, electronics, automotive OEMs, international retail chains, leisure goods and services, and more.

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Avon Reports Third-Quarter Results

Avon Products, Inc. (NYSE: AVP) today reported third-quarter 2009 total revenue of $2.6 billion, 4% lower than that of 2008’s third quarter, but up 7% on a local-currency basis as foreign exchange pressured growth by 11 percentage points. Beauty sales in the third quarter of 2009 were 3% lower versus the prior-year period, but increased 8% on a local-currency basis. Active Representatives grew 10%, with growth in all regions. Units overall rose 5% versus the prior-year quarter and Beauty units increased 6%.

Avon’s 8% local-currency growth in Beauty sales included gains in all categories: fragrance, color cosmetics, skin care and personal care grew 9%, 17%, 1%, and 7%, respectively. On a reported basis, these growth rates were -4%, +4%, -8% and -4%, respectively.

Third-quarter 2009 gross margin of 62.6% was 50 basis points below that of the prior-year quarter. Strong manufacturing productivity gains, benefits from the company’s Strategic Sourcing Initiative, and strategic price increases offset most of 140 basis points of unfavorable transaction-exchange impact on 2009 gross margin.

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Goodbye Mirdles! Freshpair Launches Stylish Men’s Shapewear Department

NEW YORK, Oct. 29 /PRNewswire/ — For the past eight years, Freshpair.com has been helping women look slim and sleek with an extensive shapewear department. Women have had push-up bras and shapewear for years. Freshpair decided it was time men had some options to help them look better under their clothes as well - be it slimming down or bulking up. In October, Freshpair launched their men’s shapewear department: www.freshpair.com/mens/shapewear.html, full of stylish ways for men to look leaner and more sculpted (plus styles that enhance the male anatomy).

Until now, men have not had many options when it came to shapewear. Men’s girdles (aka mirdles) have been around for over 25 years, but these garments were strictly functional - not fashionable. Freshpair is now offering shaping tops and bottoms for men from designer labels that look more like regular underwear and t-shirts. Men can wear many of these compressive items to the gym, under work clothes or alone with jeans.

“According to our recent poll, 79% of men said they were unhappy with their current body, citing their love handles as the main problem area. Of that 79%, 61% said they would be willing to try men’s shapewear if it looked like normal clothing,” reported Freshpair President, Michael Kleinmann. “The styles in our new Men’s Shapewear Department will definitely hide love handles, back bulges and man boobs, while looking stylish and modern.”

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