In two separate deals, multichannel home fragrance and décor marketer Blyth Inc. has agreed to purchase ViSalus Holdings LLC, a direct seller of nutritional supplements and energy drinks, as well as the assets of As We Change, a catalog focusing on the needs of women over the age of 40.
Blyth will make a series of investments in ViSalus through 2012. Terms of the As We Change deal were not disclosed.
ViSalus complements Blyth’s Two Sisters Gourmet division, a business the company launched two years ago that sells sauces, dips and related foods to consumers through the party plan method of direct sales. ViSalus uses independent distributors, approximately half of which are men, to sell its products on a one-by-one basis.
The deal “builds further on Blyth’s long-term focus on direct-to-consumer sales opportunities,” said Robert B. Goergen, chairman of the board and CEO at Blyth, in a statement. “Importantly, we are able to diversify within the direct selling channel with products that appeal to different consumer segments and do not compete with our core PartyLite business.”
The ViSalus management team, including founders Ryan Blair, Nick Sarnicola and Blake Mallen, will retain their roles and lead the company.
In the As We Change deal, Blyth acquired substantially all of As We Change’s inventory, intellectual property and customer buyer file. The brand will become part of the Miles Kimball Company, which includes Miles Kimball, Exposures, Walter Drake, The Home Marketplace and Easy Comforts brands.
“The addition of the As We Change brand to Blyth will complement our existing direct-to-consumer portfolio while enhancing our market share within the catalog and Internet space,” Goergen said in a statement.
