Data Tracker: Internet salesmen

Direct selling is less under siege from the Internet than was expected. While traditional direct sellers have seen a big drop in sales in developed markets, this has been more on account of product failures or miscommunication about the brand, a report by Euromonitor says. However, if one looks at selling communities that include direct-to-consumer businesses that the Internet has spawned (Example: Dollar Shave Club, now a part of Unilever), it seems that this is perhaps the best time for brands to explore the direct-selling model

• The most successful direct sellers will win by continuing to set down stakes in