"Avon calling" -- calling for a younger crowd, overseas reps, and improved global operational efficiencies. Avon Products, the world's top direct seller of cosmetics and beauty-related items, is busy building a global brand and enticing more consumers to buy its products. Direct selling remains its modus operandi; sales also come from catalogs and a website. Its lineup includes cosmetics, fragrances, toiletries, apparel, home furnishings, and more. Avon boasts more than 6 million independent representatives worldwide, and has sales and distribution operations in approximately 70 countries. In 2015, Avon sold its North American operations to private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management.