ITC to use Amway network to sell juices as coronavirus pushes demand for immunity boosters

FMCG major ITC has partnered with direct selling company Amway to retail its range of juices as demand for immunity building products witness a boom during the coronavirus pandemic.

FMCG major ITC has partnered with direct selling company Amway to retail its range of juices as demand for immunity building products witness a boom during the coronavirus pandemic. Amway India will launch the range of products in the B Natural segment and its micro-entrepreneurs will sell the range for a limited period of time. After some time, ITC will leverage its pan-India distribution channel to retail the product. “Given the current health crisis, Immunity of the entire family has emerged as a key consumer priority and B Natural proactively spearheaded the endeavour of providing an effective fruit beverage range this summer that could contribute to supporting immunity with a clinically proven ingredient,” Hemant Malik, Divisional Chief Executive − Foods Division, ITC Ltd, said in a statement. The company has priced its B Natural range at Rs 130 per pack and the product is available in two variants. 

The sales for immunity building products have gone up in the past few weeks even as demand for other FMCG products has gone down. One of the major ayurvedic products selling companies in India — Dabur — has also recently said that its immunity products Chyawanprash and Honey have witnessed immense growth as coronavirus has nudged consumers towards increasing immunity. While the company posted overall losses during the fourth quarter, its Chyawanprash range and honey range has provided some respite. 

“Our extensive network of micro-entrepreneurs is best suited to provide recommendations on interesting ways of consumption and also seek insights to continue our innovations to address impending demand for nutrition,” Amway India CEO Anshu Budhraja said. While ITC and Amway have announced their collaboration during lockdown, ITC said that the two companies were already in talks for a collaboration long before the signs of coronavirus emerged in India. The outbreak has served as a catalyst for the partnership.