Major door-to-door Sales Companies are stepping up efforts to expand their presence across China in preparation for new Direct selling regulations that come into effect in two months.

Herbalife International, one of the five biggest direct selling enterprises in the United States - Avon, Amway, Marykay and Nuskin are the others - will open 30 stores by the end of this year.

Direct sales were banned in 1998 amid reports of rampant fraud and pyramid sales schemes. The ban came as a major blow to some of the world's biggest direct sales companies. Avon and Herbalife had only started to build up sales networks in the country.

China said at the beginning of this month it will lift the seven-year long ban on direct sales in December, allowing both domestic and international companies to tap into a US$50 billion market.

Sina.com