The International Space Station (ISS) has experienced a small but persistent air leak primarily located in the Russian segment, specifically in the Zvezda module.

This leak was first detected in 2019 when crew members noticed a drop in air pressure.

Investigations revealed cracks and fissures on older modules, including the Zvezda and Zarya modules, with the potential “last place” of air leakage identified in an intermediate chamber of the Zvezda module by cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anton Shkaplerov in late 2023 and early 2024.

The leak rate began at about one pound of air lost per day but was reported by NASA’s ISS program manager Joel Montalbano in early 2024 to have doubled to approximately two pounds a day.

The leak was detected through routine monitoring of the station’s atmospheric pressure and through crew observations during docking events, such as the arrival of Progress cargo ships.

Potential causes of the leak have included the aging structure of the ISS modules, manufacturing defects, and occasionally meteorite impacts.

One notable previous air leak was linked to a manufacturing defect in the Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft’s living module, which reportedly developed after being sealed with glue that later dried out and cracked.

However, the air leak in Zvezda seems primarily attributed to wear and aging, as the module dates back to the 1980s, originally built for the Mir-2 station.

In response, astronauts have carried out repairs by sealing visible cracks with special sealants.

The Russian cosmonauts disconnected a faulty circuit on the Nauka module in 2021 to mitigate related issues but the Zvezda module’s leak persists.

Equipment and materials necessary for permanent repair have been scheduled for delivery aboard Progress cargo ships, with planned operations to seal the leak more fully expected once the hatch of the affected module reopens, reportedly not until April 2024.

Monitoring continues with close cooperation between NASA and Roscosmos.

The International Space Station (ISS) has experienced a small but persistent air leak primarily located in the Russian segment, specifically in the Zvezda module.

Title:

Content: On the ISS found a place of possible air leakage in the module “Star ”
On the International Space Station, a place of possible air leakage in the Zvezda module was discovered.
The discovery of a "suspicious" place in the module compartment was reported by cosmonaut Pyotr Dubrov during negotiations with the Flight Control Center.
“There was a suspicious place.
I was engaged in photographing it under a microscope with magnifying glasses, ” the cosmonaut quoted Interfax as saying.
Recall that in August 2020, air leakage to the ISS was detected in the transition chamber of the Zvezda module.
In October last year, cosmonauts managed to find the crack and repair it with temporary means.
In August 2021, the media reported the detection of non-through cracks in the Russian module of the ISS "Zarya".
Executive Director of Roscosmos for manned programs Sergei Krikalev said then that he had no information about new cracks at the station.
At the same time, the representative of the state corporation noted that even in the presence of non-through cracks, the ISS can be operated for another 20 years.
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Is the ISS going to be a space hotel?

This leak was first detected in 2019 when crew members noticed a drop in air pressure.

Title:

Content: Ribbon
01 January 07: 01
All news
vk.com / Cosmonaut Ivan Wagner
Moscow, January 1.
Russian cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anton Shkaplerov discovered in the Zvezda module on the International Space Station, presumably the last place of air leakage.
This was reported in the press service of Roscosmos.
The first small leak was discovered on the ISS back in 2019, since then, astronauts have been monitoring the situation and eliminating cracks in the hull.
Experts know how to return the module tightness.
This will be done as soon as Progress delivers the necessary equipment to orbit.
“Russian cosmonauts Peter Dubrov and Anton Shkaplerov found a possible last place of air leakage in the intermediate chamber of the service module“ Star ” of the Russian segment of the ISS ”, — stated in the message.
Russian President Vladimir Putin previously admitted the possibility of continuing the operation of the ISS after 2024.
This is necessary to maintain high launch activity.
Go back
Comment

Investigations revealed cracks and fissures on older modules, including the Zvezda and Zarya modules, with the potential “last place” of air leakage identified in an intermediate chamber of the Zvezda module by cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anton Shkaplerov in late 2023 and early 2024.

The leak rate began at about one pound of air lost per day but was reported by NASA’s ISS program manager Joel Montalbano in early 2024 to have doubled to approximately two pounds a day.

Title:

Content: 29 Feb, 2024 11:18

Russia comments on space station leak

A NASA official had previously reported that air loss from the Zvezda module had doubled

Air leaking from a segment of the International Space Station (ISS) poses no risk to its crew or the orbital outpost, the Russian space agency Roscosmos has said.

A NASA official had previously reported that the rate at which air was escaping from the satellite's Russian Zvezda module under certain circumstances had doubled. The situation is under control and being constantly monitored, the Roscosmos told Interfax on Wednesday, when asked about remarks by NASA’s ISS program manager, Joel Montalbano,.

”The aging of the station’s structure and the growing need for repair and maintenance work on board require a significant portion of the crew’s time,” Roscosmos said.

Montalbano mentioned the issue during this week’s briefing on the upcoming SpaceX Crew-8 mission, which is scheduled for launch on Friday.

”There is an area in the aft end of the International Space Station. [There is] a small leak. We’ve seen this leak increase about a week before the recent Progress launch and docking,” he said, referring to a Russian automatic supply freighter.

The volume of lost air has increased to about two pounds a day, compared to a pound a day previously, Montalbano said.

”The hatch is closed in that area. It’s not an impact on Crew-8, but I didn’t want anyone to be surprised, if they hear about that later,” he explained.

The use of the module for retrieving the Progress shipment didn’t pose any issues in terms of the leak, he said. The next opening of the hatch is expected in April. While it’s closed, the rest of the station is “solid.”

Technical issues at the ISS are being reported on a regular basis. Roscosmos has said the age of the station is a key reason why it is developing plans for a new purely Russian-manned orbital structure as an alternative to participating in the international project.

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The leak was detected through routine monitoring of the station’s atmospheric pressure and through crew observations during docking events, such as the arrival of Progress cargo ships.

Title:

Content: NEWS
NEWS
February 28, 20: 41
Science
Roscosmos reported air leakage on the Russian segment of the ISS
Photo: telegram channel "State Corporation" Roscosmos "
Air leakage occurred on the Russian segment of the ISS, the crew and the station itself is not threatened.
This writes TASS with reference to the press service of Roscosmos.
“Indeed, experts fix the leakage of air on board the ISS.
The crew regularly carries out work to find and eliminate possible leakage sites, and the data coming from the station are transmitted for analysis to specialists in the normal mode, ” the state corporation said.
According to "Interfax" with reference to the head of the NASA program on the ISS Joel Montalbano, the leak is observed in the tail part of the ISS.
“We saw that the leak increased about a week before the last launch of Progress and its docking with the station, ” he said.
The head of the NASA program on the ISS said that the air in the transition chamber of the Zvezda module began to leave twice as fast.
According to Montalbano, experts are in contact with Russian colleagues on the next steps.
However, this situation does not affect the safety of the crew, he said.
Last year, Russian cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub in outer space disconnected the faulty circuit of the additional radiator on the module "Science" from the main circuit of the module.
Before that, they went into outer space, opening the exit hatch of the module "Search" of the International Space Station.
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Potential causes of the leak have included the aging structure of the ISS modules, manufacturing defects, and occasionally meteorite impacts.

Title:

Content: Soyuz manufacturing defect causes air leak at International Space Station
Kazakhstan News Agency / Astana / September 3 - According to the Russian satellite network reported on the 3rd, Russian rocket space sources said that the manufacturing defect is the cause of the "Soyuz MS-09" spacecraft leak.
There was an air leak on the International Space Station on August 30.
The astronauts examined all the compartments and found tiny cracks in the Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft.
It is located in the living module, not in the return module, so it will not affect the return of the spacecraft to Earth.
It was previously thought that the fissure was the result of a miniature meteorite hitting the spacecraft.
The next night, Russian cosmonauts used special sealant to fill the hole.
The source said: "The cause of the crack in the inner shell of the living module has been identified and it has appeared on Earth.
The person responsible for the fault was identified. "
According to another source, the crew likely sealed the leak with special glue after realizing the mistake, so it was not detected during the pre-launch check and the spacecraft ’ s first two months of orbital flight.
"However, the glue later dried out and was squeezed out, revealing cracks," he said.
The Russian space agency said a special committee would investigate and determine the cause of the accident.
Сейчасчитают

One notable previous air leak was linked to a manufacturing defect in the Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft’s living module, which reportedly developed after being sealed with glue that later dried out and cracked.

However, the air leak in Zvezda seems primarily attributed to wear and aging, as the module dates back to the 1980s, originally built for the Mir-2 station.

Title:

Content: Links for simplified access
ISS crew reports smoke and smell of burnt plastic
In the Russian module “Zvezda ” on the International space station (ISS) last night worked fire alarm, reports RIA“ Novosti ” with reference to the negotiations of the crew with the Earth, which broadcasts NASA.
Around five in the morning Moscow time, cosmonaut Oleg Novitsky told the Mission Control Center about the smoke and smell of burnt plastic.
After that, the devices showed the presence of harmful substances in the area of the medical cabinet in the Zvezda module.
French astronaut Tom Pesquet said that the smell of burnt plastic or electronics also penetrated the American segment of the ISS due to the working ventilation.
The source of the smoke and smell has not yet been identified.
The ISS included a system for removing harmful impurities.
Later, Roscosmos said that the smoke sensor and alarm system worked on the ISS “during automatic recharging of batteries. ”
Currently, all systems of the station are working normally, the department notes.
The Russian service module Zvezda docked to the ISS in July 2000.
Its main frame was built in the 1980s as the core of the Mir-2 space station, which was to replace the Mir station, but then it was decided to use it in the ISS program.
Zvezda allows a crew of three cosmonauts to stay in space, and the module can also dock with the Progress cargo ship, which once every three months delivers the necessary supplies to the station and adjusts its orbit.
In the fall of 2019, an air leak was recorded on the ISS.
A year later, the leakage rate increased fivefold.
Sequential sealing of the station compartments allowed us to establish that the cause of the leak was a crack in the Russian segment of the ISS - Zvezda.
The astronauts sealed it with a sealant, but the air leak continued.
Recently, during the survey of the International Space Station, cosmonauts found non-through cracks on the oldest module - "Dawn".
At the end of July, a meeting of the Presidium of the Scientific and Technical Council of Roscosmos took place, where it was noted that the station is breathing on incense.
The International Space Station will expire in 2024.
Earlier, Vladimir Solovyov, General Designer of the Energia Rocket and Space Corporation, predicted an avalanche of failure of numerous elements at the station after 2025.
This mainly concerns the tightness of the housing and complex computing facilities that have developed their resource, Solovyov noted.
XS
SM
MD
LG

In response, astronauts have carried out repairs by sealing visible cracks with special sealants.

The Russian cosmonauts disconnected a faulty circuit on the Nauka module in 2021 to mitigate related issues but the Zvezda module’s leak persists.

Equipment and materials necessary for permanent repair have been scheduled for delivery aboard Progress cargo ships, with planned operations to seal the leak more fully expected once the hatch of the affected module reopens, reportedly not until April 2024.

Title:

Content: Possible location of air leak from the International Space Station
Space
International Space Station
Copy Link https: / / www.rt.com / s7a8
The media office of the Roscosmos Foundation announced that the Russian cosmonauts discovered in the unit "Zvezda", the possible place of air leakage from the International Space Station.
According to the information office, the materials and equipment needed to repair this place will be sent aboard the Progress cargo vehicle.
"The equipment and materials necessary to stop air leakage will be sent with the first Progress cargo vehicle launched to the International Space Station, to solve this problem once and for all," the statement said.
Astronauts Peter Dobrov and Anton Shkaplerov discovered the possible location of the air leak in December in the middle chamber of the Zvezda unit.
NASA has said it is considering isolating the Zvezda module completely if necessary.
The Roscosmos media office commented: “The concerns of our partners are unfounded and surprising. ”
Source: Novosti
Agree.
This website uses cookies. You can read the terms of use to activate this feature by clicking here

Monitoring continues with close cooperation between NASA and Roscosmos.


The International Space Station (ISS) has experienced a small but persistent air leak primarily located in the Russian segment, specifically in the Zvezda module.

This leak was first detected in 2019 when crew members noticed a drop in air pressure.

Investigations revealed cracks and fissures on older modules, including the Zvezda and Zarya modules, with the potential “last place” of air leakage identified in an intermediate chamber of the Zvezda module by cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anton Shkaplerov in late 2023 and early 2024.

The leak rate began at about one pound of air lost per day but was reported by NASA’s ISS program manager Joel Montalbano in early 2024 to have doubled to approximately two pounds a day.

The leak was detected through routine monitoring of the station’s atmospheric pressure and through crew observations during docking events, such as the arrival of Progress cargo ships.

Potential causes of the leak have included the aging structure of the ISS modules, manufacturing defects, and occasionally meteorite impacts.

One notable previous air leak was linked to a manufacturing defect in the Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft’s living module, which reportedly developed after being sealed with glue that later dried out and cracked.

However, the air leak in Zvezda seems primarily attributed to wear and aging, as the module dates back to the 1980s, originally built for the Mir-2 station.

In response, astronauts have carried out repairs by sealing visible cracks with special sealants.

The Russian cosmonauts disconnected a faulty circuit on the Nauka module in 2021 to mitigate related issues but the Zvezda module’s leak persists.

Equipment and materials necessary for permanent repair have been scheduled for delivery aboard Progress cargo ships, with planned operations to seal the leak more fully expected once the hatch of the affected module reopens, reportedly not until April 2024.

Monitoring continues with close cooperation between NASA and Roscosmos.

At one point, NASA even considered isolating the Zvezda module completely if the leak worsened, though Roscosmos officials indicated concerns were overstated.

Importantly, the air leak has not posed any immediate safety risk to the crew or station operations, and no loss of station functionality has been caused.

While technical issues are frequent on the aging ISS, the international partnership remains vigilant in managing and repairing such problems as they arise.

The ISS is currently planned to operate through at least 2024, with discussions ongoing about potential extensions and successor space stations[4d07b9d8-1eb3-4ebe-aaf2-39e5725dc367_682748788; b636dd60-6311-49e3-a6e1-999eea4725ce_976978055; b465f03a-f20e-4bce-a58a-644dbcff0267_209985340; d0632052-f69f-43bf-95b7-ca2758d8a9ee_449949310; 715ac48a-c2b6-4220-ba56-bebfa9774221_734447027; 7fffb776-5030-474f-b10c-da40f37e1b1f_276131129; 0a040a3e-2812-41a4-9857-45bdf81b5e75_113364068; e1150c08-4fce-4d00-aeaf-24637db7a0c9_560805968; e4a4c245-4316-4bad-9ee8-99425e7ec51a_168521096].

In summary, the ISS air leak was first noted in 2019 in the Russian modules, steadily worsened, and although repairs with sealants have been applied, a permanent fix is pending delivery of repair materials by cargo ship.

The leak is small and closely monitored and does not currently endanger the crew or station integrity.

This sequence of events offers rich material for dramatized retelling, emphasizing the challenges of maintaining complex aging space infrastructure and the resilience of the multinational crew and teams managing it.

The International Space Station (ISS) has experienced a small but persistent air leak primarily located in the Russian segment, specifically in the Zvezda module.

Title:

Content: On the ISS found a place of possible air leakage in the module “Star ”
On the International Space Station, a place of possible air leakage in the Zvezda module was discovered.
The discovery of a "suspicious" place in the module compartment was reported by cosmonaut Pyotr Dubrov during negotiations with the Flight Control Center.
“There was a suspicious place.
I was engaged in photographing it under a microscope with magnifying glasses, ” the cosmonaut quoted Interfax as saying.
Recall that in August 2020, air leakage to the ISS was detected in the transition chamber of the Zvezda module.
In October last year, cosmonauts managed to find the crack and repair it with temporary means.
In August 2021, the media reported the detection of non-through cracks in the Russian module of the ISS "Zarya".
Executive Director of Roscosmos for manned programs Sergei Krikalev said then that he had no information about new cracks at the station.
At the same time, the representative of the state corporation noted that even in the presence of non-through cracks, the ISS can be operated for another 20 years.
Add "Pravda.Ru" to your sources in Yandex.News or News.Google, or Yandex.Zen
Fast news in the Telegram-channel Pravda.Ru.
Don ’ t forget to subscribe to keep up to date.
Is the ISS going to be a space hotel?

This leak was first detected in 2019 when crew members noticed a drop in air pressure.

Title:

Content: Ribbon
01 January 07: 01
All news
vk.com / Cosmonaut Ivan Wagner
Moscow, January 1.
Russian cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anton Shkaplerov discovered in the Zvezda module on the International Space Station, presumably the last place of air leakage.
This was reported in the press service of Roscosmos.
The first small leak was discovered on the ISS back in 2019, since then, astronauts have been monitoring the situation and eliminating cracks in the hull.
Experts know how to return the module tightness.
This will be done as soon as Progress delivers the necessary equipment to orbit.
“Russian cosmonauts Peter Dubrov and Anton Shkaplerov found a possible last place of air leakage in the intermediate chamber of the service module“ Star ” of the Russian segment of the ISS ”, — stated in the message.
Russian President Vladimir Putin previously admitted the possibility of continuing the operation of the ISS after 2024.
This is necessary to maintain high launch activity.
Go back
Comment

Investigations revealed cracks and fissures on older modules, including the Zvezda and Zarya modules, with the potential “last place” of air leakage identified in an intermediate chamber of the Zvezda module by cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anton Shkaplerov in late 2023 and early 2024.

The leak rate began at about one pound of air lost per day but was reported by NASA’s ISS program manager Joel Montalbano in early 2024 to have doubled to approximately two pounds a day.

Title:

Content: 29 Feb, 2024 11:18

Russia comments on space station leak

A NASA official had previously reported that air loss from the Zvezda module had doubled

Air leaking from a segment of the International Space Station (ISS) poses no risk to its crew or the orbital outpost, the Russian space agency Roscosmos has said.

A NASA official had previously reported that the rate at which air was escaping from the satellite's Russian Zvezda module under certain circumstances had doubled. The situation is under control and being constantly monitored, the Roscosmos told Interfax on Wednesday, when asked about remarks by NASA’s ISS program manager, Joel Montalbano,.

”The aging of the station’s structure and the growing need for repair and maintenance work on board require a significant portion of the crew’s time,” Roscosmos said.

Montalbano mentioned the issue during this week’s briefing on the upcoming SpaceX Crew-8 mission, which is scheduled for launch on Friday.

”There is an area in the aft end of the International Space Station. [There is] a small leak. We’ve seen this leak increase about a week before the recent Progress launch and docking,” he said, referring to a Russian automatic supply freighter.

The volume of lost air has increased to about two pounds a day, compared to a pound a day previously, Montalbano said.

”The hatch is closed in that area. It’s not an impact on Crew-8, but I didn’t want anyone to be surprised, if they hear about that later,” he explained.

The use of the module for retrieving the Progress shipment didn’t pose any issues in terms of the leak, he said. The next opening of the hatch is expected in April. While it’s closed, the rest of the station is “solid.”

Technical issues at the ISS are being reported on a regular basis. Roscosmos has said the age of the station is a key reason why it is developing plans for a new purely Russian-manned orbital structure as an alternative to participating in the international project.

Podcasts
0:00
27:58
0:00
26:56

The leak was detected through routine monitoring of the station’s atmospheric pressure and through crew observations during docking events, such as the arrival of Progress cargo ships.

Title:

Content: NEWS
NEWS
February 28, 20: 41
Science
Roscosmos reported air leakage on the Russian segment of the ISS
Photo: telegram channel "State Corporation" Roscosmos "
Air leakage occurred on the Russian segment of the ISS, the crew and the station itself is not threatened.
This writes TASS with reference to the press service of Roscosmos.
“Indeed, experts fix the leakage of air on board the ISS.
The crew regularly carries out work to find and eliminate possible leakage sites, and the data coming from the station are transmitted for analysis to specialists in the normal mode, ” the state corporation said.
According to "Interfax" with reference to the head of the NASA program on the ISS Joel Montalbano, the leak is observed in the tail part of the ISS.
“We saw that the leak increased about a week before the last launch of Progress and its docking with the station, ” he said.
The head of the NASA program on the ISS said that the air in the transition chamber of the Zvezda module began to leave twice as fast.
According to Montalbano, experts are in contact with Russian colleagues on the next steps.
However, this situation does not affect the safety of the crew, he said.
Last year, Russian cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub in outer space disconnected the faulty circuit of the additional radiator on the module "Science" from the main circuit of the module.
Before that, they went into outer space, opening the exit hatch of the module "Search" of the International Space Station.
More news — in the telegram channel Moscow 24 Subscribe!
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Feedback form
Attach file
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Potential causes of the leak have included the aging structure of the ISS modules, manufacturing defects, and occasionally meteorite impacts.

Title:

Content: Soyuz manufacturing defect causes air leak at International Space Station
Kazakhstan News Agency / Astana / September 3 - According to the Russian satellite network reported on the 3rd, Russian rocket space sources said that the manufacturing defect is the cause of the "Soyuz MS-09" spacecraft leak.
There was an air leak on the International Space Station on August 30.
The astronauts examined all the compartments and found tiny cracks in the Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft.
It is located in the living module, not in the return module, so it will not affect the return of the spacecraft to Earth.
It was previously thought that the fissure was the result of a miniature meteorite hitting the spacecraft.
The next night, Russian cosmonauts used special sealant to fill the hole.
The source said: "The cause of the crack in the inner shell of the living module has been identified and it has appeared on Earth.
The person responsible for the fault was identified. "
According to another source, the crew likely sealed the leak with special glue after realizing the mistake, so it was not detected during the pre-launch check and the spacecraft ’ s first two months of orbital flight.
"However, the glue later dried out and was squeezed out, revealing cracks," he said.
The Russian space agency said a special committee would investigate and determine the cause of the accident.
Сейчасчитают

One notable previous air leak was linked to a manufacturing defect in the Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft’s living module, which reportedly developed after being sealed with glue that later dried out and cracked.

However, the air leak in Zvezda seems primarily attributed to wear and aging, as the module dates back to the 1980s, originally built for the Mir-2 station.

Title:

Content: Links for simplified access
ISS crew reports smoke and smell of burnt plastic
In the Russian module “Zvezda ” on the International space station (ISS) last night worked fire alarm, reports RIA“ Novosti ” with reference to the negotiations of the crew with the Earth, which broadcasts NASA.
Around five in the morning Moscow time, cosmonaut Oleg Novitsky told the Mission Control Center about the smoke and smell of burnt plastic.
After that, the devices showed the presence of harmful substances in the area of the medical cabinet in the Zvezda module.
French astronaut Tom Pesquet said that the smell of burnt plastic or electronics also penetrated the American segment of the ISS due to the working ventilation.
The source of the smoke and smell has not yet been identified.
The ISS included a system for removing harmful impurities.
Later, Roscosmos said that the smoke sensor and alarm system worked on the ISS “during automatic recharging of batteries. ”
Currently, all systems of the station are working normally, the department notes.
The Russian service module Zvezda docked to the ISS in July 2000.
Its main frame was built in the 1980s as the core of the Mir-2 space station, which was to replace the Mir station, but then it was decided to use it in the ISS program.
Zvezda allows a crew of three cosmonauts to stay in space, and the module can also dock with the Progress cargo ship, which once every three months delivers the necessary supplies to the station and adjusts its orbit.
In the fall of 2019, an air leak was recorded on the ISS.
A year later, the leakage rate increased fivefold.
Sequential sealing of the station compartments allowed us to establish that the cause of the leak was a crack in the Russian segment of the ISS - Zvezda.
The astronauts sealed it with a sealant, but the air leak continued.
Recently, during the survey of the International Space Station, cosmonauts found non-through cracks on the oldest module - "Dawn".
At the end of July, a meeting of the Presidium of the Scientific and Technical Council of Roscosmos took place, where it was noted that the station is breathing on incense.
The International Space Station will expire in 2024.
Earlier, Vladimir Solovyov, General Designer of the Energia Rocket and Space Corporation, predicted an avalanche of failure of numerous elements at the station after 2025.
This mainly concerns the tightness of the housing and complex computing facilities that have developed their resource, Solovyov noted.
XS
SM
MD
LG

In response, astronauts have carried out repairs by sealing visible cracks with special sealants.

The Russian cosmonauts disconnected a faulty circuit on the Nauka module in 2021 to mitigate related issues but the Zvezda module’s leak persists.

Equipment and materials necessary for permanent repair have been scheduled for delivery aboard Progress cargo ships, with planned operations to seal the leak more fully expected once the hatch of the affected module reopens, reportedly not until April 2024.

Title:

Content: Possible location of air leak from the International Space Station
Space
International Space Station
Copy Link https: / / www.rt.com / s7a8
The media office of the Roscosmos Foundation announced that the Russian cosmonauts discovered in the unit "Zvezda", the possible place of air leakage from the International Space Station.
According to the information office, the materials and equipment needed to repair this place will be sent aboard the Progress cargo vehicle.
"The equipment and materials necessary to stop air leakage will be sent with the first Progress cargo vehicle launched to the International Space Station, to solve this problem once and for all," the statement said.
Astronauts Peter Dobrov and Anton Shkaplerov discovered the possible location of the air leak in December in the middle chamber of the Zvezda unit.
NASA has said it is considering isolating the Zvezda module completely if necessary.
The Roscosmos media office commented: “The concerns of our partners are unfounded and surprising. ”
Source: Novosti
Agree.
This website uses cookies. You can read the terms of use to activate this feature by clicking here

Monitoring continues with close cooperation between NASA and Roscosmos.

At one point, NASA even considered isolating the Zvezda module completely if the leak worsened, though Roscosmos officials indicated concerns were overstated.

Importantly, the air leak has not posed any immediate safety risk to the crew or station operations, and no loss of station functionality has been caused.

While technical issues are frequent on the aging ISS, the international partnership remains vigilant in managing and repairing such problems as they arise.

The ISS is currently planned to operate through at least 2024, with discussions ongoing about potential extensions and successor space stations[4d07b9d8-1eb3-4ebe-aaf2-39e5725dc367_682748788; b636dd60-6311-49e3-a6e1-999eea4725ce_976978055; b465f03a-f20e-4bce-a58a-644dbcff0267_209985340; d0632052-f69f-43bf-95b7-ca2758d8a9ee_449949310; 715ac48a-c2b6-4220-ba56-bebfa9774221_734447027; 7fffb776-5030-474f-b10c-da40f37e1b1f_276131129; 0a040a3e-2812-41a4-9857-45bdf81b5e75_113364068; e1150c08-4fce-4d00-aeaf-24637db7a0c9_560805968; e4a4c245-4316-4bad-9ee8-99425e7ec51a_168521096].

Title:

Content: The Russian module of the ISS “Zvezda ” can be completely isolated due to air leakage
reads: 670
23.01.2022 23: 30
The Russian Zvezda module, which is one of the modules of the Russian segment of the International Space Station, could be permanently isolated due to air leakage.
This was reported by NASA Director for the ISS Robin Gatens, reports “Interfax ”.
She said that the situation with the module does not yet pose a serious threat to the ISS, but in the worst case, is considering the option of complete isolation of the “Star ”.
According to Gatens, NASA and Roscosmos are working together to eliminate air leakage in the module, but due to the small size of the crack, it is difficult to detect detectors and ultrasonic diagnostic tools.
In turn, Roscosmos said that the concern of their colleagues on the ISS “is not justified and is surprising. ”
According to the Russian Ministry, the cosmonauts found the site of the leak at the end of last month.
They promise to fix the problem when the Progress cargo ship delivers materials to the ISS.
Note that in the Russian segment of the space station repeatedly there were problems and other problems.
For the first time, an air leak in one of the modules was detected in September 2019, in October 2020, a crack was detected in the camera of the Zvezda module.
Recall that earlier it was reported that at the end of July 2021, after docking the Russian module “Science ” to the International space station, it turned on the engines, because of which the station began to move chaotically and for a time lost control over the orientation of the ISS.
Wikipedia: The International Space Station, Inc.
International Space Station (ISS).
ISS) is a manned orbital station used as a multi-purpose space research complex; it is operated from the end of 1998 to the present (the countries agreed to operate through 2024 inclusive, the extension of the period of operation to 2028, 2030 is being considered).
The ISS is a joint international project involving 14 countries: Russia, the United States, Japan, Canada and members of the European Space Agency Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, France, Switzerland, Sweden (originally the participants were Brazil and the United Kingdom).
The ISS is controlled by the Russian segment from the Space Flight Control Center in Korolev, the American segment from the Lyndon Johnson Flight Control Center in Houston.
The European Columbus and Japanese Kibo modules are controlled by the European Space Agency (Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (Tsukuba).
There is a constant exchange of information between the centers.
Photofact

In summary, the ISS air leak was first noted in 2019 in the Russian modules, steadily worsened, and although repairs with sealants have been applied, a permanent fix is pending delivery of repair materials by cargo ship.

The leak is small and closely monitored and does not currently endanger the crew or station integrity.

This sequence of events offers rich material for dramatized retelling, emphasizing the challenges of maintaining complex aging space infrastructure and the resilience of the multinational crew and teams managing it.

Title:

Content: NASA was forced to reschedule an upcoming spacewalk and postpone another after an external coolant leak at the International Space Station (ISS).
The leak originated from a backup radiator connected to the Russian Nauka unit.
Although the coolant is not toxic or dangerous to the crew, NASA takes precautions to prevent it from entering internal systems and causing equipment to deteriorate over time.
As a result of this situation, the spacewalk scheduled for Thursday, October 19, has been rescheduled to a later date.
Planned spacewalks are not time-sensitive and will not affect the operations of the International Space Station.
The second spacewalk, scheduled for Monday, will continue as scheduled.
It will be the first ever flight outside the station for NASA astronauts Laurel O'Hara and Jasmine Mokbali.
As they walk through space, they will remove a faulty electronics box and replace the slewing bearing assembly on the Solar Alpha Rotary Joint port support, enabling the space station ’ s solar arrays to track the sun.
Meanwhile, there is another spacewalk, which is currently awaiting rescheduling, in which O'Hara and ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen will take part.
Their task includes collecting samples from the outside of the plant to determine the presence of microorganisms.
They will also replace a high-definition camera and perform maintenance work in preparation for future spacewalks.
This is not the first incident to affect the operations of the International Space Station due to leakage of coolant.
Last December, the Soyuz spacecraft experienced a coolant leak after colliding with a small meteorite, extending the stay of NASA astronauts and two Russian cosmonauts by six months.
The cause of the recent leak in the Nauka unit radiator is still unknown.
Source: NASA
Definitions:
International Space Station (ISS): A habitable space station in low Earth orbit.
It serves as a laboratory where the crew conducts scientific research and conducts experiments.
Coolant: A liquid or gas used to regulate temperatures in mechanical systems, such as the cooling system on the International Space Station.
Spacewalk: An activity performed by astronauts outside of their spacecraft while in space.
Radiator: A device that transfers heat from one medium to another, usually installed in systems that generate excess heat.
Slewing bearing assembly: A mechanism that allows smooth rotation and movement in some joint systems.
In this case, it enables the rotation of the solar arrays of the International Space Station.


In recent years, the multi-level marketing (MLM) business model has experienced both growth and decline influenced by various external and internal factors.

MLM evolved from the historical concept of direct selling but fundamentally differs by focusing heavily on recruitment and incentivizing distributors to buy inventory for resale or personal use, often with promises of "unlimited" income potential.

Unlike traditional direct selling, which declined due to mass merchandising and e-commerce, MLMs have thrived by recruiting large numbers of independent sellers, though with highly skewed income distributions favoring the top 1% and widespread financial losses for most participants .

Key companies utilizing MLM models include Amway, Herbalife, Nuskin, USANA, Primerica, and Medifast.

However, several established direct selling companies like Avon and Tupperware have undergone significant decline and transformation.

Avon shifted its traditional door-to-door direct selling approach in the early 2000s towards an MLM-style recruitment focus but saw continuous revenue decline over the next decade, culminating in selling its North American business and being acquired globally by the Brazilian MLM Natura.

North American Avon now operates as a classic MLM with health, beauty, and lifestyle products, though earnings disclosures reveal typical reps earn minimal commissions, often between $0 and $2,620 annually.

Natura's stock has fallen over 60% in recent years, further indicating challenges .

Tupperware, once a pioneer of the party-plan MLM subset, also struggled, with stock values dropping over 90% in five years.

It attempted to diversify product sales by retailing through stores like Target but continues to see decreasing participation and negligible earnings for most sellers.

Financial distress suggests possible bankruptcy filings.

The COVID-19 pandemic initially created mixed effects for MLM companies.

In recent years, the multi-level marketing (MLM) business model has experienced both growth and decline influenced by various external and internal factors.

Title:

Content: 'Direct Selling' - Avon, Tupperware - Is Extinct

Nov. 18, 2022 11:25 AM ETHLF, MED, NTCO, NUS, PRI, TUP, USNA3 Comments
Robert FitzPatrick
394 Followers

Summary

  • Direct Selling became obsolete generations ago. So how is it that millions today get recruited for "income opportunity" in "direct selling" and billions are traded on "direct selling" stocks?
  • Avon and Tupperware are cited by "multi-level marketing," or MLM, promoters as "proof" that MLM, e.g., Amway, Herbalife, is "direct selling."
  • Usable data on actual income and churn rates of MLM "direct sellers," market saturation, and retail sales to actual customers are not provided.
  • In fact, Avon and Tupperware for years have been walking dinosaurs, still trying to do "person-to-person" sales to end-users with commodity products, while MLMs hype "unlimited" income.
  • The shrunken and devolved state of Avon and Tupperware today reveals that direct selling is extinct. MLM is not, and never was, direct selling.

It is generally accepted that "direct selling" was killed off generations ago by mass merchandising, big box stores, mail-order and then the internet, among other societal changes. The "Fuller Brush man" is long gone. No one's at home. No one wants or needs or has time for a "personal" salesperson. Everything's in stores or online. And, even when "direct selling" still lived, no one ever went into that tough line of work thinking they would get rich from it.

Yet, each year, millions are recruited, and pay thousands, for the "opportunity" to work as "direct sellers," with promises and expectations of "unlimited" income. The number involved today is many, many times greater than ever worked in that "extinct" field decades ago. Billions are being traded on Wall Street for shares of "direct selling" companies. How can this be?

In my book, Ponzinomics, the Untold Story of Multi-Level Marketing, I document the death of "direct selling" and the 1945 invention of "multi-level marketing," or MLM. I describe how "MLM" falsely assumed direct selling's revered old identity. I trace MLM from its Adam, a little California-based company called "Nutrilite," to today's "industry" led by Amway, Herbalife (HLF) down 64% YTD, Nuskin (NUS) down 31%, USANA Health Sciences (USNA) down 49%, Primerica, Inc. (PRI) down 13%, and Medifast (MED) down 45%. MLM's financial solicitations for consumers to become "direct sellers" have reached into – and led to losses for – virtually every household in America.

In the newly invented "MLM," the main source of revenue shifted from end-user customers to the salespeople themselves who are incentivized to "be their own customer" by buying their own products. Obviously, no one makes money purchasing their own inventory, but MLM offered a unique reason to do so – "unlimited" income potential.

No More Need to Knock on Doors

All MLM "direct sellers" can potentially gain "unlimited" income by recruiting an "endless" chain of other "direct sellers." No need to pound the pavement and get rudely rejected at front doors any more. Each "direct seller" on the chain has to meet a quota to "qualify" for future rewards from their recruits who, in turn, are their "own customers" and recruiters too, ad infinitum. The chain can grow without continuous personal effort. The qualifying quota can usually be met by just making a personal monthly purchase of inventory. "Commissions" on all these transactions, all the way down to the "last ones in," flow up the chain. In the MLM pay plan, most of the total commissions go to the top 1%. So, all new "direct sellers" try mightily to recruit (and buy) their way to those top ranks. Of course, only a tiny few can ever be at the top.

Some people argued this is a pyramid recruiting scheme, inherently unfair and deceptive, and a counterfeit of direct selling. In the design and the pay plan, bottom ranks – the vast majority – will inevitably lose. They said constantly adding salespeople in any area destroys profitable retail selling potential, if any exists to start with. They cited data on 90-99% loss rates and huge churn rates among new "recruits" and asked, where are the retail "customers"?

While offering no data on retail customers or salespeople losses or market saturation, MLM promoters offered "proof" that MLM is direct selling by pointing to two long-established and respected direct selling companies in their ranks, Avon and Tupperware (TUP). Both companies were members of the Direct Selling Association, DSA, and both were "direct selling" icons, Avon for its "ladies" and Tupperware for its "parties." To any pyramid scheme accusations, MLM promoters indignantly countered: "Are you calling Avon and Tupperware pyramid schemes?"

Walking Dinosaurs

The truth for both companies is very different from the MLM-spin. Avon and Tupperware used to have differentiated products and real consumer demand. Their salespeople made money from their own retail sales. But moving into the 21st Century, Avon and Tupperware became walking dinosaurs, vestiges of the extinct era of "direct selling." They were still trying to base their businesses on their historical brands and on person-to-person retail sales to real customers, as direct selling companies always used to do.

Despite MLM's citing Avon and Tupperware, and thereby bestowing legitimacy on the "MLM" members of the Direct Selling Association, deep differences between those icons of the old era and MLM burst into public view in 2013-14. The two companies publicly quit the Direct Selling Association, charging ethics violations and DSA-member connections to pyramid schemes.

Avon's Long Good-Bye

Avon had been a true direct seller for decades before MLM was invented. But as the door-to-door model faded, Avon began a long decline. In 2000, Avon began shifting its focus to "incentivizing" salespeople to recruit more salespeople and getting them to buy inventory, MLM-style. In 2009, during the Great Recession, Avon ran its most expensive ad in history, on television during the Super Bowl. The ad never mentioned any Avon products! It only solicited "salespeople." Still, global revenue dropped continuously over the next 10 years. Avon stock value fell from over $30 to just over $3.

Finally, Avon split off its faltering North American business and sold it to the Korean company, LG Household & Health Care. Avon claimed to have 250,000 sales representatives in North America. The remaining global business was later sold to the Brazilian MLM, Natura (NTCO) down 50% YTD, which also owns the retailer, Body Shop. Though Avon global was much larger, Avon shareholders traded 3 shares of Avon for just one in Natura.

The Korean-owned segment of Avon in North America is now classic MLM, selling the proverbial MLM "income opportunity" along with "health" supplements, make-up, jewelry, clothing, scented candles, even toothpaste.

On the Canadian Avon website, Avon promotes the "income opportunity," urging prospects in large bold black type: "Think big. Sell Avon part-time, full-time, you decide how much! It’s your business, your way!"

A disclosure (legally required in Canada, but not in the USA) appears midway down a long webpage in tiny, barely visible gray lettering: "The 2020 earnings of a typical Avon Leadership Representative was between $0 and $2,620 in commissions and bonuses." That's $0 to $50 a week, before subtracting all costs! And the "disclosure" does not break out how much of that tiny return comes from personal sales or the "downline."

Avon quietly rejoined the Direct Selling Association. The Brazilian company, Natura, which took over Avon's global business in 2020, has lost over 60% of its stock value in the last year.

Tupperware on the Brink

Tupperware was one of the first "party plan" companies, which are technically a small subset of MLM. They employ an "endless" recruiting chain, but are more rooted in retail sales transacted at "parties." Tupperware used to have a popular brand with innovative, differentiated products. But, as true direct selling began to disappear, Tupperware went into decline. It added MLM-type "health and beauty" commodities to bolster recruiting appeal but then deleted them. This year, it began also selling its products in Target department stores. Its kitchen-related goods are generally not distinct from other brands. A 10-months "Income disclosure" for Canada (not published in the USA) showed that half the "party planners" were classified "inactive," earning less than $30 for the period on average. 94% of the "active" ones reportedly received about $12 a week on average, before expenses.

In the last 5 years, the stock value of Tupperware has dropped over 90%. Its latest financials warned investors the company may violate loan agreements, setting off speculation Tupperware might declare bankruptcy.

The shrunken and devolved state of Avon and Tupperware, the most famous brand-icons of "direct selling," makes citing them as a defense of "multi-level marketing" as extinct as their old business model.

This article was written by

394 Followers
Robert L. FitzPatrick is the author of the new book, Ponzinomics, the Untold Story of Multi-Level Marketing (2020),the first comprehensive history and analysis of the "MLM" phenomenon, addressing its political influence, propaganda techniques and use of cult persuasion. FitzPatrick is an expert in examining and revealing deception and fraud in Ponzi schemes, pyramid schemes and bogus home-based businesses. He served as expert or consultant in more than 30 court cases involving pyramid schemes and multi-level marketing. He is co-author of False Profits (1997), an examination of the values and beliefs that support the delusions of pyramid schemes. He was featured on NBC Dateline, ABC World News, and CBS 60 Minutes, the documentary film, Betting on Zero and the podcast, The Dream.He has been quoted in many newspapers around the world, including the New York Times and Wall Street Journal. His booklet, Pyramid Nation, has been translated to Chinese and used by government regulators in writing China's first laws on pyramid schemes. His booklet, "The 10 Big Lies of Multi-Level Marketing", has been translated into four languages and posted on numerous websites. His White Paper, "The Main Street Bubble", which details the extensive influence-buying of the direct selling industry was featured in a CNBC Documentary, Selling the American Dream. In 2005, he delivered a seminar to in Colombo, Sri Lanka to central banking representatives from that country as well as India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives and Nepal. Robert FitzPatrick has developed informational resources for consumers, journalists, academics and regulators including a multi-media PowerPoint presentation and a statistical analysis of the losses suffered by participants in pyramid selling schemes. He also published a widely read booklet on the landmark federal case brought against the Amway Corporation. He is a expert network member of GLG Research, and Coleman Research Group, as well as other networks of experts who are referred to clients for consultation, speaking and report writing. In this capacity, he has provided expert consultation to financial many analysts who sought information about multi-level marketing companies and pyramid and Ponzi schemes. Robert FitzPatrick co-founded and serves as president of Pyramid Scheme Alert, the first international organization to expose and prevent pyramid scheme fraud. He personally responds to hundreds of consumer and news media inquiries each year. He has served as consultant and expert witness for Attorney General or State Attorney offices in four states, the US Dept. of Justice, and in numerous cases involving distributor fraud and pyramid schemes. Robert FitzPatrick is not an investor in multi-level marketing companies. He has never owned and never plans to own stocks of multi-level marketing companies. He has never been compensated based on any stock's performance. He does not offer investment advice and he is not an attorney.

Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it. I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Additional disclosure: This article is for educational purposes only. It discusses fundamentals of the "direct selling" business model and the evolution of "multi-level marketing."

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MLM evolved from the historical concept of direct selling but fundamentally differs by focusing heavily on recruitment and incentivizing distributors to buy inventory for resale or personal use, often with promises of "unlimited" income potential.

Unlike traditional direct selling, which declined due to mass merchandising and e-commerce, MLMs have thrived by recruiting large numbers of independent sellers, though with highly skewed income distributions favoring the top 1% and widespread financial losses for most participants .

Key companies utilizing MLM models include Amway, Herbalife, Nuskin, USANA, Primerica, and Medifast.

However, several established direct selling companies like Avon and Tupperware have undergone significant decline and transformation.

Avon shifted its traditional door-to-door direct selling approach in the early 2000s towards an MLM-style recruitment focus but saw continuous revenue decline over the next decade, culminating in selling its North American business and being acquired globally by the Brazilian MLM Natura.

North American Avon now operates as a classic MLM with health, beauty, and lifestyle products, though earnings disclosures reveal typical reps earn minimal commissions, often between $0 and $2,620 annually.

Natura's stock has fallen over 60% in recent years, further indicating challenges .

Tupperware, once a pioneer of the party-plan MLM subset, also struggled, with stock values dropping over 90% in five years.

It attempted to diversify product sales by retailing through stores like Target but continues to see decreasing participation and negligible earnings for most sellers.

Financial distress suggests possible bankruptcy filings.

The COVID-19 pandemic initially created mixed effects for MLM companies.

Title:

Content: 2021 Global MNO Directory to 2023 - Market Share, Group Information and Ownership

Dublin, IRELAND

Dublin, Nov. 26, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Worldwide MNO Directory 2021-2022" directory has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

A worldwide Mobile Network Operator (MNO) business intelligence digest, designed strategically for large and small vendors supporting the mobile operator value chain. This latest 2021 edition features 700+ MNOs and 6000+ CXO/ Management contacts (special edition*) holding a variety of key roles ranging from heads of roaming, network planning, strategy, procurement, and more.

The MNO Directory is an essential resource for those looking to do business or collaborate with mobile operators across the globe.

The directories cover every continent, country or region in the world, which can be broken down into as follows:

  • Asia Pacific MNO Directory (including Australia & New Zealand)
  • Africa MNO Directory
  • Europe MNO Directory
  • Middle East MNO Directory
  • Latin America MNO Directory
  • North America MNO Directory
  • Worldwide MNO Directory (all in one)

For every region, the directories list all operators active in any given country. For an operator active in any given country, the analyst offers a range of business attributes to help businesses comprehend and strategise their targets effectively. Such as:

  • Operator Details - Registered Name, Brand
  • Market share, Group Information & Ownership
  • Business Details - Network portfolio, Subscribers, Growth Trend, Network Penetration, Market Share, Contact Details.

Directories are delivered in PDF & XLS formats. The PDF is distributed country-wise; 1-page per operator structure. And, XLS is dedicated to a list of management contacts; Executive Names, Executive Roles, and Executive Emails. These management contacts are decision-makers holding influential roles within operator businesses. And, reaching out to them not only gives interested businesses a 'time advantage' over the competition but presents a unique opportunity to explain their propositions properly & effectively.

The MNO Directory offers the following information:

  • Name of the operator - country-wise one operator per page structure
  • Group & ownership information
  • Commercial business information - network portfolio, subscribers, growth trend, penetration, market share, addresses, phone, fax nos, and more.
  • Online presence - web/ URL
  • CXO/ Management/ Decision-Makers/ Operator contacts
  • Formats Available - PDF & Excel

MNO Directory 2021-2022 - Special Edition has up to 300% more contacts than the regular edition. Also featuring team interviews, detailed questions & answers, & lots more.

Executive Summary:

Key Questions Answered by the Analyst

The analyst of the report speaks about the state of the mobile network operator (MNO) industry, where it's heading, the impact of the pandemic, growth opportunities, innovation, and challenges telecoms face as we head into the future.

1. What are the emerging trends? What would be the analyst's advice to mobile network operators (MNOs) looking to grow in near future?

The answer is Operators must build offerings not around but throughout the Digital Lifestyle of Consumers, and simply 'forget' monetizing their investments by selling Voice, Data, and few OTT offerings. Although connectivity is becoming a commodity and unlimited or more than sufficient data is taken for granted, network quality - both the experience and the service - will still be a differentiator in my opinion. Content is increasingly relevant, though it is increasingly costly. Yet many customers are willing to pay for a better experience and brand bonding. That way you also send a strong message to your existing clientele. And keeping them informed that you are "at it" is as important as planning.

Through work with operator clients, five main strategies for boosting revenue growth have been identified. Their potential varies, and some are long-term bets, while others are short-term, nonstructural measures.

2. Are operators making any money these days? Who according to the analyst may be booking profits and how can other MNOs imitate them? Any specific operator cases that might have turned things around would be helpful for readers of the report.

The telecom market in Europe, North America, and advanced countries in the Asia Pacific, and the Middle East have saturated now. Consequently, the industry has been witnessing fierce competition between mobile operators and negative revenue growth. The industry went into a consolidation phase in recent years and we witnessed several exits, mergers and acquisitions across the globe.

Now, the number of active MNOs in almost every country is fairly good (average 3 operators per country). However, the exponential growth and adoption of OTT services, from WhatsApp to YouTube to Vimeo to Netflix to Amazon Prime Video to so many, has left operators in a very unprecedented situation.

It has:

  • Increasingly commoditised network services, reducing margins
  • Forced operators to invest more in their network to meet the growing demand

And as we see it, Operators are facing the following challenges:

  • Reduced margin not allowing them to innovate
  • They practically can't offer the OTT of consumers' choice - it's changing so frequently
  • Even partnerships with OTTs are not really effective enough for operators
  • Partnership with OTTs is not a long-term solution

A ranking of top ten players on the basis of revenue or subscriber or profitability is not really important when their survival can be easily challenged by any startup OTT. Yet, I can give you a few operators that are either coping with these challenges really well or have put their strategic efforts commendably.

3. What's the status of 2G, 3G, 4G or 5G world over? What do you think the priorities of operators are or should be vis a vis growth moving forward?

LTE became the prime agenda of operators to enable consumers to experience the full benefit of mobile Internet. The current priority of operators is to achieve the full potential of 4G LTE while they have already started working on 5G and beyond. Africa however is lagging far behind the rest of the world. Many African countries have lower LTE footprint and adoption. While smartphone penetration has crossed 50% on the continent, this overplays its significance as most of the countries in the region are running on legacy 2G and 3G speeds, which do not allow video streaming or anything beyond basic web browsing.

4. Where are operators spending the most? What is slowing them down?

Most of the investments are focused on network expansion, modernisation, and capacity improvement. The exponential growth in demand for data is observed; however, operators have failed to become the prime beneficiary despite billions of investments in 4G network in the past 10 years.

As for 'what's slowing them down' is huge expectations and commensurate amount of effort and capital it would take to make customers happy in toto. And why not, 21st century is all about that. Yet do not forget the Operators world over still continue to spend a substantial amount of their profits into keeping things running.

5. What is keeping operators excited?

As in previous years, operators will continue to invest in 4G and 4G+ mobile networks. Not because they are excited but the exponential growth in data traffic is forcing them to do so. This new investment in 4G and 4G+ addresses two needs, the increase of the network coverage, and the improvement in capacity.

6. What is the analyst's take on where the industry might be heading towards in the next 2-3-or-5 years?

As people, society, industry, and governments move into the future with more effective digital tools, advanced technologies, and automation like never before - telecom players must lead the charge. Capturing opportunities earliest before wide-scale penetration will be the key to meeting the expectations and future needs of the consumers.

The analyst laid out a four-pillar program that can help operators become the prime beneficiaries of their investment in the network, uplift their position across the value chain and maximise their RoI.

7. And finally, a word about Pandemic: how do you think industry dealt with it?

Covid-19 has impacted the global mobile industry; however, the impact is less severe than on the broader economy. In fact, many developing countries, where the absence of fixed-line infrastructure makes mobile the default means of accessing the internet, witnessed unexpected growth in mobile revenue. For example, mobile revenue in India grew more than 17% in 2020 while real GDP declined more than 10%. Telcos today have a multi-faceted business model. While there was a mixed impact on overall revenue for telcos, there is also general uniformity in the impact being concentrated in a loss of roaming business (reduced travel), and lower handset upgrades.

Key Topics Covered:

1. Executive Summary
2. Team Interview/ Questions Answered by the Report
2. Africa MNO Directory 2021-2022
3. Asia Pacific (including Australia & New Zealand) MNO Directory 2021-2022
4. Europe MNO Directory 2021-2022
5. Latin America MNO Directory 2021-2022
6. Middle East MNO Directory 2021-2022
7. North America MNO Directory 2021-2022

For more information about this directory visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/cp3l2

Contact Data


In recent years, the multi-level marketing (MLM) business model has experienced both growth and decline influenced by various external and internal factors.

MLM evolved from the historical concept of direct selling but fundamentally differs by focusing heavily on recruitment and incentivizing distributors to buy inventory for resale or personal use, often with promises of "unlimited" income potential.

Unlike traditional direct selling, which declined due to mass merchandising and e-commerce, MLMs have thrived by recruiting large numbers of independent sellers, though with highly skewed income distributions favoring the top 1% and widespread financial losses for most participants .

Key companies utilizing MLM models include Amway, Herbalife, Nuskin, USANA, Primerica, and Medifast.

However, several established direct selling companies like Avon and Tupperware have undergone significant decline and transformation.

Avon shifted its traditional door-to-door direct selling approach in the early 2000s towards an MLM-style recruitment focus but saw continuous revenue decline over the next decade, culminating in selling its North American business and being acquired globally by the Brazilian MLM Natura.

North American Avon now operates as a classic MLM with health, beauty, and lifestyle products, though earnings disclosures reveal typical reps earn minimal commissions, often between $0 and $2,620 annually.

Natura's stock has fallen over 60% in recent years, further indicating challenges .

Tupperware, once a pioneer of the party-plan MLM subset, also struggled, with stock values dropping over 90% in five years.

It attempted to diversify product sales by retailing through stores like Target but continues to see decreasing participation and negligible earnings for most sellers.

Financial distress suggests possible bankruptcy filings.

These declines expose the general industry trend that direct selling as traditionally known is effectively extinct, while MLM — with its recruitment-heavy structure — continues but faces growing scrutiny and legal challenges .

The COVID-19 pandemic initially created mixed effects for MLM companies.

Lockdowns and social distancing impeded traditional face-to-face recruiting and selling, but some MLMs leveraged social media and online platforms to reach distributors remotely.

However, ongoing scrutiny by regulators and negative publicity about deceptive income claims has led some companies to downscale MLM operations or transition to non-MLM direct sales models.

Furthermore, increasing awareness of pyramid scheme-like features, low success rates for participants (often 90-99% loss rates), and market saturation have reduced MLMs' attractiveness for many potential recruits .

Specific closures or transitions are evident in the cases of Avon’s North American divestiture to LG Household & Health Care and Natura’s global acquisition, which emphasize shifts away from classic MLM toward hybrid or direct sales models.

Some companies that rely heavily on health supplements and cosmetics via MLM have faced financial drops of 30-65% in stock value in recent years.

Legal battles and consumer skepticism around MLM's resemblance to pyramid schemes have accelerated these trends.

Overall, the MLM industry remains sizable but is marked by declining profitability and reputational challenges for large traditional companies.

Many MLMs persist by relying on aggressive recruitment tactics and inventory purchases by recruits rather than retail sales to genuine customers.

The persistent high churn and low typical earnings contribute to vulnerability among certain population groups, particularly those seeking flexible or supplemental income during economic uncertainties like the pandemic .

In conclusion, recent years have seen a mixed trajectory for MLM businesses: the legacy direct selling model is largely extinct, iconic companies like Avon and Tupperware have declined or transformed away from pure MLM, and the MLM model itself is enduring but increasingly challenged by regulatory and market forces, with some companies closing or shifting to direct sales without recruitment.

The COVID-19 pandemic temporarily altered recruitment and sales dynamics but did not reverse broader downward trends.

Up-to-date company data confirm significant drops in revenue and stock values for major MLM players, highlighting the precarity of the MLM business model’s future .

In recent years, the multi-level marketing (MLM) business model has experienced both growth and decline influenced by various external and internal factors.

Title:

Content: 'Direct Selling' - Avon, Tupperware - Is Extinct

Nov. 18, 2022 11:25 AM ETHLF, MED, NTCO, NUS, PRI, TUP, USNA3 Comments
Robert FitzPatrick
394 Followers

Summary

  • Direct Selling became obsolete generations ago. So how is it that millions today get recruited for "income opportunity" in "direct selling" and billions are traded on "direct selling" stocks?
  • Avon and Tupperware are cited by "multi-level marketing," or MLM, promoters as "proof" that MLM, e.g., Amway, Herbalife, is "direct selling."
  • Usable data on actual income and churn rates of MLM "direct sellers," market saturation, and retail sales to actual customers are not provided.
  • In fact, Avon and Tupperware for years have been walking dinosaurs, still trying to do "person-to-person" sales to end-users with commodity products, while MLMs hype "unlimited" income.
  • The shrunken and devolved state of Avon and Tupperware today reveals that direct selling is extinct. MLM is not, and never was, direct selling.

It is generally accepted that "direct selling" was killed off generations ago by mass merchandising, big box stores, mail-order and then the internet, among other societal changes. The "Fuller Brush man" is long gone. No one's at home. No one wants or needs or has time for a "personal" salesperson. Everything's in stores or online. And, even when "direct selling" still lived, no one ever went into that tough line of work thinking they would get rich from it.

Yet, each year, millions are recruited, and pay thousands, for the "opportunity" to work as "direct sellers," with promises and expectations of "unlimited" income. The number involved today is many, many times greater than ever worked in that "extinct" field decades ago. Billions are being traded on Wall Street for shares of "direct selling" companies. How can this be?

In my book, Ponzinomics, the Untold Story of Multi-Level Marketing, I document the death of "direct selling" and the 1945 invention of "multi-level marketing," or MLM. I describe how "MLM" falsely assumed direct selling's revered old identity. I trace MLM from its Adam, a little California-based company called "Nutrilite," to today's "industry" led by Amway, Herbalife (HLF) down 64% YTD, Nuskin (NUS) down 31%, USANA Health Sciences (USNA) down 49%, Primerica, Inc. (PRI) down 13%, and Medifast (MED) down 45%. MLM's financial solicitations for consumers to become "direct sellers" have reached into – and led to losses for – virtually every household in America.

In the newly invented "MLM," the main source of revenue shifted from end-user customers to the salespeople themselves who are incentivized to "be their own customer" by buying their own products. Obviously, no one makes money purchasing their own inventory, but MLM offered a unique reason to do so – "unlimited" income potential.

No More Need to Knock on Doors

All MLM "direct sellers" can potentially gain "unlimited" income by recruiting an "endless" chain of other "direct sellers." No need to pound the pavement and get rudely rejected at front doors any more. Each "direct seller" on the chain has to meet a quota to "qualify" for future rewards from their recruits who, in turn, are their "own customers" and recruiters too, ad infinitum. The chain can grow without continuous personal effort. The qualifying quota can usually be met by just making a personal monthly purchase of inventory. "Commissions" on all these transactions, all the way down to the "last ones in," flow up the chain. In the MLM pay plan, most of the total commissions go to the top 1%. So, all new "direct sellers" try mightily to recruit (and buy) their way to those top ranks. Of course, only a tiny few can ever be at the top.

Some people argued this is a pyramid recruiting scheme, inherently unfair and deceptive, and a counterfeit of direct selling. In the design and the pay plan, bottom ranks – the vast majority – will inevitably lose. They said constantly adding salespeople in any area destroys profitable retail selling potential, if any exists to start with. They cited data on 90-99% loss rates and huge churn rates among new "recruits" and asked, where are the retail "customers"?

While offering no data on retail customers or salespeople losses or market saturation, MLM promoters offered "proof" that MLM is direct selling by pointing to two long-established and respected direct selling companies in their ranks, Avon and Tupperware (TUP). Both companies were members of the Direct Selling Association, DSA, and both were "direct selling" icons, Avon for its "ladies" and Tupperware for its "parties." To any pyramid scheme accusations, MLM promoters indignantly countered: "Are you calling Avon and Tupperware pyramid schemes?"

Walking Dinosaurs

The truth for both companies is very different from the MLM-spin. Avon and Tupperware used to have differentiated products and real consumer demand. Their salespeople made money from their own retail sales. But moving into the 21st Century, Avon and Tupperware became walking dinosaurs, vestiges of the extinct era of "direct selling." They were still trying to base their businesses on their historical brands and on person-to-person retail sales to real customers, as direct selling companies always used to do.

Despite MLM's citing Avon and Tupperware, and thereby bestowing legitimacy on the "MLM" members of the Direct Selling Association, deep differences between those icons of the old era and MLM burst into public view in 2013-14. The two companies publicly quit the Direct Selling Association, charging ethics violations and DSA-member connections to pyramid schemes.

Avon's Long Good-Bye

Avon had been a true direct seller for decades before MLM was invented. But as the door-to-door model faded, Avon began a long decline. In 2000, Avon began shifting its focus to "incentivizing" salespeople to recruit more salespeople and getting them to buy inventory, MLM-style. In 2009, during the Great Recession, Avon ran its most expensive ad in history, on television during the Super Bowl. The ad never mentioned any Avon products! It only solicited "salespeople." Still, global revenue dropped continuously over the next 10 years. Avon stock value fell from over $30 to just over $3.

Finally, Avon split off its faltering North American business and sold it to the Korean company, LG Household & Health Care. Avon claimed to have 250,000 sales representatives in North America. The remaining global business was later sold to the Brazilian MLM, Natura (NTCO) down 50% YTD, which also owns the retailer, Body Shop. Though Avon global was much larger, Avon shareholders traded 3 shares of Avon for just one in Natura.

The Korean-owned segment of Avon in North America is now classic MLM, selling the proverbial MLM "income opportunity" along with "health" supplements, make-up, jewelry, clothing, scented candles, even toothpaste.

On the Canadian Avon website, Avon promotes the "income opportunity," urging prospects in large bold black type: "Think big. Sell Avon part-time, full-time, you decide how much! It’s your business, your way!"

A disclosure (legally required in Canada, but not in the USA) appears midway down a long webpage in tiny, barely visible gray lettering: "The 2020 earnings of a typical Avon Leadership Representative was between $0 and $2,620 in commissions and bonuses." That's $0 to $50 a week, before subtracting all costs! And the "disclosure" does not break out how much of that tiny return comes from personal sales or the "downline."

Avon quietly rejoined the Direct Selling Association. The Brazilian company, Natura, which took over Avon's global business in 2020, has lost over 60% of its stock value in the last year.

Tupperware on the Brink

Tupperware was one of the first "party plan" companies, which are technically a small subset of MLM. They employ an "endless" recruiting chain, but are more rooted in retail sales transacted at "parties." Tupperware used to have a popular brand with innovative, differentiated products. But, as true direct selling began to disappear, Tupperware went into decline. It added MLM-type "health and beauty" commodities to bolster recruiting appeal but then deleted them. This year, it began also selling its products in Target department stores. Its kitchen-related goods are generally not distinct from other brands. A 10-months "Income disclosure" for Canada (not published in the USA) showed that half the "party planners" were classified "inactive," earning less than $30 for the period on average. 94% of the "active" ones reportedly received about $12 a week on average, before expenses.

In the last 5 years, the stock value of Tupperware has dropped over 90%. Its latest financials warned investors the company may violate loan agreements, setting off speculation Tupperware might declare bankruptcy.

The shrunken and devolved state of Avon and Tupperware, the most famous brand-icons of "direct selling," makes citing them as a defense of "multi-level marketing" as extinct as their old business model.

This article was written by

394 Followers
Robert L. FitzPatrick is the author of the new book, Ponzinomics, the Untold Story of Multi-Level Marketing (2020),the first comprehensive history and analysis of the "MLM" phenomenon, addressing its political influence, propaganda techniques and use of cult persuasion. FitzPatrick is an expert in examining and revealing deception and fraud in Ponzi schemes, pyramid schemes and bogus home-based businesses. He served as expert or consultant in more than 30 court cases involving pyramid schemes and multi-level marketing. He is co-author of False Profits (1997), an examination of the values and beliefs that support the delusions of pyramid schemes. He was featured on NBC Dateline, ABC World News, and CBS 60 Minutes, the documentary film, Betting on Zero and the podcast, The Dream.He has been quoted in many newspapers around the world, including the New York Times and Wall Street Journal. His booklet, Pyramid Nation, has been translated to Chinese and used by government regulators in writing China's first laws on pyramid schemes. His booklet, "The 10 Big Lies of Multi-Level Marketing", has been translated into four languages and posted on numerous websites. His White Paper, "The Main Street Bubble", which details the extensive influence-buying of the direct selling industry was featured in a CNBC Documentary, Selling the American Dream. In 2005, he delivered a seminar to in Colombo, Sri Lanka to central banking representatives from that country as well as India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives and Nepal. Robert FitzPatrick has developed informational resources for consumers, journalists, academics and regulators including a multi-media PowerPoint presentation and a statistical analysis of the losses suffered by participants in pyramid selling schemes. He also published a widely read booklet on the landmark federal case brought against the Amway Corporation. He is a expert network member of GLG Research, and Coleman Research Group, as well as other networks of experts who are referred to clients for consultation, speaking and report writing. In this capacity, he has provided expert consultation to financial many analysts who sought information about multi-level marketing companies and pyramid and Ponzi schemes. Robert FitzPatrick co-founded and serves as president of Pyramid Scheme Alert, the first international organization to expose and prevent pyramid scheme fraud. He personally responds to hundreds of consumer and news media inquiries each year. He has served as consultant and expert witness for Attorney General or State Attorney offices in four states, the US Dept. of Justice, and in numerous cases involving distributor fraud and pyramid schemes. Robert FitzPatrick is not an investor in multi-level marketing companies. He has never owned and never plans to own stocks of multi-level marketing companies. He has never been compensated based on any stock's performance. He does not offer investment advice and he is not an attorney.

Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it. I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Additional disclosure: This article is for educational purposes only. It discusses fundamentals of the "direct selling" business model and the evolution of "multi-level marketing."

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MLM evolved from the historical concept of direct selling but fundamentally differs by focusing heavily on recruitment and incentivizing distributors to buy inventory for resale or personal use, often with promises of "unlimited" income potential.

Unlike traditional direct selling, which declined due to mass merchandising and e-commerce, MLMs have thrived by recruiting large numbers of independent sellers, though with highly skewed income distributions favoring the top 1% and widespread financial losses for most participants .

Key companies utilizing MLM models include Amway, Herbalife, Nuskin, USANA, Primerica, and Medifast.

However, several established direct selling companies like Avon and Tupperware have undergone significant decline and transformation.

Avon shifted its traditional door-to-door direct selling approach in the early 2000s towards an MLM-style recruitment focus but saw continuous revenue decline over the next decade, culminating in selling its North American business and being acquired globally by the Brazilian MLM Natura.

North American Avon now operates as a classic MLM with health, beauty, and lifestyle products, though earnings disclosures reveal typical reps earn minimal commissions, often between $0 and $2,620 annually.

Natura's stock has fallen over 60% in recent years, further indicating challenges .

Tupperware, once a pioneer of the party-plan MLM subset, also struggled, with stock values dropping over 90% in five years.

It attempted to diversify product sales by retailing through stores like Target but continues to see decreasing participation and negligible earnings for most sellers.

Financial distress suggests possible bankruptcy filings.

These declines expose the general industry trend that direct selling as traditionally known is effectively extinct, while MLM — with its recruitment-heavy structure — continues but faces growing scrutiny and legal challenges .

The COVID-19 pandemic initially created mixed effects for MLM companies.

Title:

Content: 2021 Global MNO Directory to 2023 - Market Share, Group Information and Ownership

Dublin, IRELAND

Dublin, Nov. 26, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Worldwide MNO Directory 2021-2022" directory has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

A worldwide Mobile Network Operator (MNO) business intelligence digest, designed strategically for large and small vendors supporting the mobile operator value chain. This latest 2021 edition features 700+ MNOs and 6000+ CXO/ Management contacts (special edition*) holding a variety of key roles ranging from heads of roaming, network planning, strategy, procurement, and more.

The MNO Directory is an essential resource for those looking to do business or collaborate with mobile operators across the globe.

The directories cover every continent, country or region in the world, which can be broken down into as follows:

  • Asia Pacific MNO Directory (including Australia & New Zealand)
  • Africa MNO Directory
  • Europe MNO Directory
  • Middle East MNO Directory
  • Latin America MNO Directory
  • North America MNO Directory
  • Worldwide MNO Directory (all in one)

For every region, the directories list all operators active in any given country. For an operator active in any given country, the analyst offers a range of business attributes to help businesses comprehend and strategise their targets effectively. Such as:

  • Operator Details - Registered Name, Brand
  • Market share, Group Information & Ownership
  • Business Details - Network portfolio, Subscribers, Growth Trend, Network Penetration, Market Share, Contact Details.

Directories are delivered in PDF & XLS formats. The PDF is distributed country-wise; 1-page per operator structure. And, XLS is dedicated to a list of management contacts; Executive Names, Executive Roles, and Executive Emails. These management contacts are decision-makers holding influential roles within operator businesses. And, reaching out to them not only gives interested businesses a 'time advantage' over the competition but presents a unique opportunity to explain their propositions properly & effectively.

The MNO Directory offers the following information:

  • Name of the operator - country-wise one operator per page structure
  • Group & ownership information
  • Commercial business information - network portfolio, subscribers, growth trend, penetration, market share, addresses, phone, fax nos, and more.
  • Online presence - web/ URL
  • CXO/ Management/ Decision-Makers/ Operator contacts
  • Formats Available - PDF & Excel

MNO Directory 2021-2022 - Special Edition has up to 300% more contacts than the regular edition. Also featuring team interviews, detailed questions & answers, & lots more.

Executive Summary:

Key Questions Answered by the Analyst

The analyst of the report speaks about the state of the mobile network operator (MNO) industry, where it's heading, the impact of the pandemic, growth opportunities, innovation, and challenges telecoms face as we head into the future.

1. What are the emerging trends? What would be the analyst's advice to mobile network operators (MNOs) looking to grow in near future?

The answer is Operators must build offerings not around but throughout the Digital Lifestyle of Consumers, and simply 'forget' monetizing their investments by selling Voice, Data, and few OTT offerings. Although connectivity is becoming a commodity and unlimited or more than sufficient data is taken for granted, network quality - both the experience and the service - will still be a differentiator in my opinion. Content is increasingly relevant, though it is increasingly costly. Yet many customers are willing to pay for a better experience and brand bonding. That way you also send a strong message to your existing clientele. And keeping them informed that you are "at it" is as important as planning.

Through work with operator clients, five main strategies for boosting revenue growth have been identified. Their potential varies, and some are long-term bets, while others are short-term, nonstructural measures.

2. Are operators making any money these days? Who according to the analyst may be booking profits and how can other MNOs imitate them? Any specific operator cases that might have turned things around would be helpful for readers of the report.

The telecom market in Europe, North America, and advanced countries in the Asia Pacific, and the Middle East have saturated now. Consequently, the industry has been witnessing fierce competition between mobile operators and negative revenue growth. The industry went into a consolidation phase in recent years and we witnessed several exits, mergers and acquisitions across the globe.

Now, the number of active MNOs in almost every country is fairly good (average 3 operators per country). However, the exponential growth and adoption of OTT services, from WhatsApp to YouTube to Vimeo to Netflix to Amazon Prime Video to so many, has left operators in a very unprecedented situation.

It has:

  • Increasingly commoditised network services, reducing margins
  • Forced operators to invest more in their network to meet the growing demand

And as we see it, Operators are facing the following challenges:

  • Reduced margin not allowing them to innovate
  • They practically can't offer the OTT of consumers' choice - it's changing so frequently
  • Even partnerships with OTTs are not really effective enough for operators
  • Partnership with OTTs is not a long-term solution

A ranking of top ten players on the basis of revenue or subscriber or profitability is not really important when their survival can be easily challenged by any startup OTT. Yet, I can give you a few operators that are either coping with these challenges really well or have put their strategic efforts commendably.

3. What's the status of 2G, 3G, 4G or 5G world over? What do you think the priorities of operators are or should be vis a vis growth moving forward?

LTE became the prime agenda of operators to enable consumers to experience the full benefit of mobile Internet. The current priority of operators is to achieve the full potential of 4G LTE while they have already started working on 5G and beyond. Africa however is lagging far behind the rest of the world. Many African countries have lower LTE footprint and adoption. While smartphone penetration has crossed 50% on the continent, this overplays its significance as most of the countries in the region are running on legacy 2G and 3G speeds, which do not allow video streaming or anything beyond basic web browsing.

4. Where are operators spending the most? What is slowing them down?

Most of the investments are focused on network expansion, modernisation, and capacity improvement. The exponential growth in demand for data is observed; however, operators have failed to become the prime beneficiary despite billions of investments in 4G network in the past 10 years.

As for 'what's slowing them down' is huge expectations and commensurate amount of effort and capital it would take to make customers happy in toto. And why not, 21st century is all about that. Yet do not forget the Operators world over still continue to spend a substantial amount of their profits into keeping things running.

5. What is keeping operators excited?

As in previous years, operators will continue to invest in 4G and 4G+ mobile networks. Not because they are excited but the exponential growth in data traffic is forcing them to do so. This new investment in 4G and 4G+ addresses two needs, the increase of the network coverage, and the improvement in capacity.

6. What is the analyst's take on where the industry might be heading towards in the next 2-3-or-5 years?

As people, society, industry, and governments move into the future with more effective digital tools, advanced technologies, and automation like never before - telecom players must lead the charge. Capturing opportunities earliest before wide-scale penetration will be the key to meeting the expectations and future needs of the consumers.

The analyst laid out a four-pillar program that can help operators become the prime beneficiaries of their investment in the network, uplift their position across the value chain and maximise their RoI.

7. And finally, a word about Pandemic: how do you think industry dealt with it?

Covid-19 has impacted the global mobile industry; however, the impact is less severe than on the broader economy. In fact, many developing countries, where the absence of fixed-line infrastructure makes mobile the default means of accessing the internet, witnessed unexpected growth in mobile revenue. For example, mobile revenue in India grew more than 17% in 2020 while real GDP declined more than 10%. Telcos today have a multi-faceted business model. While there was a mixed impact on overall revenue for telcos, there is also general uniformity in the impact being concentrated in a loss of roaming business (reduced travel), and lower handset upgrades.

Key Topics Covered:

1. Executive Summary
2. Team Interview/ Questions Answered by the Report
2. Africa MNO Directory 2021-2022
3. Asia Pacific (including Australia & New Zealand) MNO Directory 2021-2022
4. Europe MNO Directory 2021-2022
5. Latin America MNO Directory 2021-2022
6. Middle East MNO Directory 2021-2022
7. North America MNO Directory 2021-2022

For more information about this directory visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/cp3l2

Contact Data

Lockdowns and social distancing impeded traditional face-to-face recruiting and selling, but some MLMs leveraged social media and online platforms to reach distributors remotely.

However, ongoing scrutiny by regulators and negative publicity about deceptive income claims has led some companies to downscale MLM operations or transition to non-MLM direct sales models.

Furthermore, increasing awareness of pyramid scheme-like features, low success rates for participants (often 90-99% loss rates), and market saturation have reduced MLMs' attractiveness for many potential recruits .

Specific closures or transitions are evident in the cases of Avon’s North American divestiture to LG Household & Health Care and Natura’s global acquisition, which emphasize shifts away from classic MLM toward hybrid or direct sales models.

Some companies that rely heavily on health supplements and cosmetics via MLM have faced financial drops of 30-65% in stock value in recent years.

Legal battles and consumer skepticism around MLM's resemblance to pyramid schemes have accelerated these trends.

Overall, the MLM industry remains sizable but is marked by declining profitability and reputational challenges for large traditional companies.

Many MLMs persist by relying on aggressive recruitment tactics and inventory purchases by recruits rather than retail sales to genuine customers.

The persistent high churn and low typical earnings contribute to vulnerability among certain population groups, particularly those seeking flexible or supplemental income during economic uncertainties like the pandemic .

Title:

Content: The Future of Events is Phygital and Onmnichannel

Juliano Lissoni, MCI Group managing director, Canada, on how the pandemic has accelerated the use of AI, machine learning, and blockchain technologies to boost engagement and experiences in the metaverse — “a fully realized digital world that exists beyond the analog one in which we live.”

Author: Juliano Lissoni

MCI Group is embracing new and existing technologies to create event experiences, like the virtual Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) Prize Giving 2020 ceremony in Geneva. (Courtesy MCI Group)

For the upcoming Convene September/October issue cover story, we focus on how the pandemic has spurred the development and growth of different business models in the events industry. Juliano Lissoni, MCI Group managing director, Canada, has contributed his perspective on this topic, sharing how MCI is organizing itself “to create value for our clients with the use of existent and new technologies,” including AI, machine learning, and blockchain.

The pandemic accelerated MCI Group’s transformation journey as a full-scale marketing and engagement agency. Before the pandemic we already were B2B2C-plus, supporting customers with internal plus external audience activations. We were an efficient multichannel company. Now, we are omnichannel — mainly because customers are “overspending” not only in terms of connecting with their audiences via different channels but also to compare/track/monetize across them.

Juliano Lissoni

Even before the pandemic, strategic and digital communications, content production, and community management services comprised a substantial part of our revenues. What’s happening now, because of the increase in the percentage of digital spend vs. F2F and other spend, is that concurrent business models — high-volume/low margin and low-volume/high margin — coexist.

When it comes to a business model change, we see this part of our company accelerating during the pandemic. During 2020, we spent our time helping clients into their digital transformation, including from simple virtual gatherings to more complex solutions, using AI-enabled content platforms and engagement tools. In addition, MCI invested substantially in creating the right tools to help our clients anchor their content in digital marketing and social-media platforms. Our support is based on the combination of four pillars: strategic planning + tech solutions (stack, rather than independent, disconnected ones) + design + behavioral science. The output: adequate solution offerings, packages, and methodology.

Looking to the future, we are predicting — and organizing ourselves accordingly — to create value for our clients with the use of existent and new technologies, like applying AI and machine learning to train and activate data, the use of blockchain technologies to boost engagement, and explorations on how to build experiences in the metaverse — a fully realized digital world that exists beyond the analog one in which we live.

One thing is for sure: The future is phygital and omnichannel, and we are riding the wave of transformation. We work hard in connecting the future customer needs — the current and past needs are clear to us — with our offerings, and our focus will continue to be investing in the combination of scalable, transformative, and sustainable solutions.

In conclusion, recent years have seen a mixed trajectory for MLM businesses: the legacy direct selling model is largely extinct, iconic companies like Avon and Tupperware have declined or transformed away from pure MLM, and the MLM model itself is enduring but increasingly challenged by regulatory and market forces, with some companies closing or shifting to direct sales without recruitment.

The COVID-19 pandemic temporarily altered recruitment and sales dynamics but did not reverse broader downward trends.

Up-to-date company data confirm significant drops in revenue and stock values for major MLM players, highlighting the precarity of the MLM business model’s future .


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