Blyth Acquires Retailer; Supplement Brand

Blyth, Inc.—a marketer of home fragrance products and other items—announced that it has acquired the assets of As We Change, a national mail-order catalog focused on female consumers over 40 that offers nutrition, beauty, skin care and personal care products. In addition, Blyth signed an agreement to purchase ViSalus Holdings, LLC through a series of investments through 2012. ViSalus is a direct seller of nutritional supplements, energy drinks and weight management products sold in the U.S. through independent distributors.

"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," said Robert B. Goergen, chairman of the board and CEO, Blyth. "Moreover, it fits squarely with our strategy to seek attractively priced acquisitions that can leverage our existing industry expertise and geographic footprint.

"[The ViSalus] commitment builds further on Blyth's long-term focus on direct-to-consumer sales opportunities. Several years ago, we initiated a start up, Two Sisters Gourmet, which markets sauces, dips and related food products to consumers through the party plan method of direct selling. Now, we are entering the health and wellness category. 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."

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