Mostly: Classical

[Sexton O Blake]

Avon Gets Chinese Approval to Test Sales

NEW YORK (AP) -- Avon Products Inc. on Friday said it finally received approval from the Chinese government to test direct selling of beauty products in April in parts of China.

The green light comes more than eight months after the world's largest direct seller of cosmetics and beauty items first publicized its plan.

Test marketing will be conducted in the cities of Beijing and Tianjin and in the province of Guangdong. It is a preparation for the return of direct selling in China, Avon said. China banned direct sales in 1998, saying it was hard for consumers to distinguish direct sales from pyramid schemes.

Shares of Avon climbed $1.25, or 2.9 percent, to close Friday at $44.60 on the New York Stock Exchange.

Avon, the maker of Avon Color, Skin So-Soft, jewelry and other products, had 2004 revenue of $7.75 billion.



Let the pyramid schemes begin again!!

B