Shanghai Daily news

US-based Nu Skin Enterprises, one of the major direct selling companies, expects to double its sales this year in the Chinese mainland following the lifting of a six-year ban on direct sales.
"We understand it may take a few more weeks or months for the government to finalize the regulations as there are some complex technical and legal issues to consider," said Corey B. Lindley, executive vice president of Nu Skin.
Nu Skin said it anticipated that the new regulation will become effective from the start of the Chinese Lunar New Year on February 9 and there will be a three-to-six month transition before direct selling companies can officially operate again.
Nu Skin launched its Pharmanex-branded nutritional supplement products in the domestic market yesterday.
It plans to start production of the products at its Huzhou plant in Zhejiang Province later this year.
It expects to generate US$50 million from the sales of the new products in the mainland this year. Nutritional products account for half of Nu Skin's sales globally.
It also plans to employ 20,000 to 30,000 full time direct sellers in the Chinese mainland in the future. Nu Skin now has 5,000 full time sales personnel at its retail stores in China.
Nu Skin tripled its sales in the mainland market to US$110 million in 2004.
The company estimates that the size of the Chinese mainland's direct sales market will hit around US$10 billion to US$20 billion in the future.
It will invest an extra US$20 million in China this year and open 100 more retail stores by the end of the year, increasing the total number to 200.