Mary Kay Cuts Yet Another Cost
Written by Parsons Green
When will it end? Mary Kay Cosmetics recently announced a change in the packaging for the Timewise Sets. The sets will no longer be packaged in a Ziploc bag adorned with a sassy ribbon. Directors were informed of the change, and consultants will find out later this month. The company expects to run out of the current bags by May. The company says they are making this change for sustainability. Most customers don’t even care about the bags, and the “quality” of the products is not changing.
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The news hit the Facebook groups and there are strong feelings on both sides. Ellen Becker ponders would you rather have the bag or a price increase? Vicki Townsend is aghast. The bag surely can’t cost too much money for the company, especially when they’re buying in BULK.
Jeanette Collins is positive, but she is also AWARE. The company is cutting too many corners.
Jamie McMillan wonders if the company is just cutting too many corners.
Jeanette Collins jumps back in to mention they aren’t even getting a printed Applause magazine. The online one is much too blurry to read!!
Deborah Shearrer is worried. Mary Kay cannot be promoted as a luxury brand without this bag. She will make sure to buy her own bags. Michelle Jostad thinks the bags show that Mary Kay has class because the products also come with a booklet.
Debbie Mudge just doesn’t understand. You can package your products however you want. Complaining on Facebook will not help your business. She is blessed by Mary Kay. The products are the best. Would you want your customers hearing you complain about a bag?
Jessica Dudley thinks everyone should focus on seeing faces and building the kingdom. (WTF?)
It’s always funny to me when this corporation makes changes that affect their independent sales force. These consultants and directors think that they are business owners, but they are independent contractors who can be terminated at any time. Why is the company cutting costs and corners? Because they’re trying to be profitable and avoid going under. As a Mary Kay consultant, how many of them have ever been profitable?
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Not saying a bag is a huge deal but it is something that will become another cost for the consultant. Directors are trying to make the changes seem small but they all add up…especially if a consultant takes a hard honest look and weighs the pros and cons of what they’re getting vs spending.
And it’s so concerning how expressing a frustration or observation is being negative. Mary Kay seems to be the only place where “business owners” can’t confide in one another about the challenges that come with business…
This means they also get to yeet the poor soul whose job it was to sit there and insert the ribbons and stick the boxes and pamphlet (another cost saving by no longer needing that! Bonus!) in the bags.
I’d be interested to know if MK orders still arrive with excess and/or nonrecyclable packaging: overpack boxes, styrofoam peanuts, everything in separate little bags, bubble wrap, etc. We already know they have no qualms about letting consultomers order thousand and thousands dollars worth of jars, bottles, tubes, product boxes, and whatever goop is inside them, all ultimately destined for the landfill (“donation” is a joke; no one wants your expired crap). And I’ll bet that the unbagged Timewise sets will have each item in its own plastic bag and overpack box.
Eliminating the little cheap quality of life things in the name of “going green” is almost always a sign that the company is in serious financial trouble. It’s a sign that they’re more worried about cutting corners than the wellbeing of their employees. Of course, MK never gave a wet fart about their “employees” to begin with so they’ll keep nibbling away the edge of the cookie until there’s no cookie left while still pretending it’s a whole cookie.
Orders are now being packed with environmentally “friendly paper” ( western distribution center is doing a pilot program to test out the paper) supposedly to save the mess from the styrofoam and make it easier for the distribution center employees~ product boxes regularly are smooshed inside the boxes~ and consultants can no longer call customer service to get replacement boxes for ones damaged in transit~
Funny how every single change takes something away from the consultant and usually passes on another cost to them. The consultants have ZERO control over their own “business”. Not very empowering.
Debbie Mudge is headed for a hard reality check.
You’re not selling that many Miracle sets anyways…oh, wait. You’re ORDERING that many…Just run to Dollar Tree and grab a 3 pack of pink gift bags to package them in. While you’re at it, pick up some consultant prizes. Listen. I’m not proud of the fact that in was in MK, TWICE. I’m not proud of swindling (frontloading inventory) women out of their money for recognition and prizes. But I guess there’s a tiny silver lining of having been “in” during the early 2000’s vs now. The packaging was much cuter then. Nah, who am kidding? lol
It’s almost as if MKC is testing to see just how far they can push sales force loyalty. As if asking the bottom 99.6% of participants to lose money for the benefit of the top 0.4% wasn’t enough of a loyalty test.
“Thank you, sir, may I have another!”
Luxury brand? That’s a joke. A plastic bag with a random ribbon is not luxury.
Joy misses the point, there will be no cloth dust bag. They can’t even afford plastic bags anymore, Richard and Ryan’s lawyers must be costing them a fortune!
MKC has changed packaging so many times over the years, I’ve lost count. I suppose it is all in the name of staying modern and relevant or for the sake of the planet. When really it’s all about the almighty profit line. Some Consultants are sleepily starting to wake up to the possibility that the company could be in financial trouble. Others are so sucked into the Pink quagmire they will never say anything but how wonderful MKC is and how much the company cares about their sales force. They will be the ones left holding the “bag” (or bags of inventory) the day MKC announces that they are switching to the affiliate model. There is a new social media squad made up of directors that will teach you how to become “influencers” on social media utilizing the myShop. Wait, we’re not learning how to do in person skincare classes where we deliver product on the spot? Just one more sign, the times, they changing.
Sorry, meant to say they are changing.
Chelsea is part of this new squad!
I’ll give them an ounce of credit, they’re trying to adapt.
I wonder if the leader of this new influencer wannabe group is charging money for lessons.
As we know, the gold rush didn’t make the gold rushers rich, it made the pan and pickax sellers rich.
I don’t think any of them truly understand that “buying in bulk” is not the be all end all solution for saving costs.